A Cardano block is a collection of transactions that are grouped together and verified as a unit. It's similar to a page in a ledger. Each block contains a hash, which is a unique cryptographic code that identifies the block and its contents. Once a block is created, it's added to the blockchain, which is a public, distributed database. This process is known as block production. The creation of new blocks is carried out by staking pools, which are groups of individuals who contribute their ADA to secure the network. Blocks play a crucial role in the Cardano network by recording transactions, ensuring security, and providing a historical record.
Block 8618849 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 89342499 epoch_slot_no: 177699 block_no: 8618672 slot_leader_id: 4572916 size: 6808 time: 2023-04-07 23:06:30 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdad12e3ab5e6561b5d1150fa529b32de5ddd7b5c334a26b8cd0b3448b7d69a80Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sh946l2qfxu5q8xu7sw3xmp07d4ph764frje3qm0p2wy6pu08u2qxwxfqw op_cert: \x1f7628def8507c978bcb3adeb60376080c7611e942389d5475eceee3227a5be0 op_cert_counter: 22