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 8638044 Details
Epoch: 405 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 89742960 epoch_slot_no: 146160 block_no: 8637867 slot_leader_id: 8590916 size: 68974 time: 2023-04-12 14:20:51 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0cf9ac97d5820c2d7a0975d8ec1f1de2d92c8c143b4f505d0716969709fbd303Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1e48hddhrl45ekwxgkfspg4d6g5ktdhl6w96g7e9endalzg093nnql4qzd4 op_cert: \xaa8d74c89f0e4aacd3ac9d04802fb1f19eea419720d1e76f577d508e4e606dac op_cert_counter: 1