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 8635686 Details
Epoch: 405 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 89693938 epoch_slot_no: 97138 block_no: 8635509 slot_leader_id: 4768924 size: 50375 time: 2023-04-12 00:43:49 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2045ca8e0b3d9d78dd42c028a03bebff7293a6ffabca82ad1a57122a19db3d0eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qn8s87qr08428hgpclq333a8hk8mpp3gtcfj7nte3ujpdz7psduqdxm48w op_cert: \x909af7be2d4afad079feac5401c5f44e164d462a1fc223655165b93b7ffb5de5 op_cert_counter: 16