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 8638518 Details
Epoch: 405 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 89752940 epoch_slot_no: 156140 block_no: 8638341 slot_leader_id: 4555592 size: 51052 time: 2023-04-12 17:07:11 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xef99ae8a4de7b4e350dd7e2e22ae438b9ee0e76aca1a9d558d286ad7a59c86a1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1h0ervlcy4sz6ypa32wly3x995nmeh3j3ngfl739ezjx40s9mvurqptqy7u op_cert: \xd186f13375ea8dfe2b12c3452f4068e8273b97835fbe80ed736457bebf325c8a op_cert_counter: 17