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 8638608 Details
Epoch: 405 Number of transactions in block: 37 slot_no: 89754871 epoch_slot_no: 158071 block_no: 8638431 slot_leader_id: 4587418 size: 59402 time: 2023-04-12 17:39:22 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb242d74e4a238edff3561ac981fb782804812533e4e7d2a803a6348aa4e0bcf9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wn86jqjs756ch5t0muq8dfugxxwfvrwnh4mkj2nkxlavmagwy37sx59pej op_cert: \x4c6ae466120fedddb1c9f10a860a89c45414d6e070aacb1405583339c049df7c op_cert_counter: 13