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 8638612 Details
Epoch: 405 Number of transactions in block: 33 slot_no: 89754997 epoch_slot_no: 158197 block_no: 8638435 slot_leader_id: 7261263 size: 82373 time: 2023-04-12 17:41:28 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb928a8ab182a7c14bf6fd6e0bcaf1a3da9e97aeab0dba9d345652f1330f5374aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1s6xmszspk6kq6nvqrjecyzdcgt4ln5fuflfaw2370jcvr75lrweqalr9gz op_cert: \x499b1c81d90c34566142516bf808a14aeb03f9ad57a33b53d3f017852368edaf op_cert_counter: 9