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 8638651 Details
Epoch: 405 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 89755661 epoch_slot_no: 158861 block_no: 8638474 slot_leader_id: 5479171 size: 15038 time: 2023-04-12 17:52:32 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd971c10546cc9b5ac3095318685714c91489114971d1054ce3007e0dff02c78bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18svfk8jqraqq77c2863zp40rmzk5eeqxum2r4qmu4ejxe2h6d9uqy6qw6v op_cert: \xce7505e028566347d404eef195e9b585b7ba67328a573d7e2e145ea50db0f8fc op_cert_counter: 9