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 8638556 Details
Epoch: 405 Number of transactions in block: 50 slot_no: 89753743 epoch_slot_no: 156943 block_no: 8638379 slot_leader_id: 5449570 size: 79586 time: 2023-04-12 17:20:34 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xca57268d69c38ff977223343b0fde3abf406b14cbf874ccd67a5b2b9ee7a97f2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1t9ldgqvw7f6lvht0ykznym9r6xr3nz5da6hmkl90vtu2hhpwghes67da3q op_cert: \x85dd5b1ea180ed59d3899d9ae0c4e83b1cb6ba407a4bdf163978c54d768acaf1 op_cert_counter: 11