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 8638663 Details
Epoch: 405 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 89755913 epoch_slot_no: 159113 block_no: 8638486 slot_leader_id: 4614290 size: 22257 time: 2023-04-12 17:56:44 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf12600f3e658fa9b76c92ea4170f186c4fe712600330315323c0da5a69e28784Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1maculfw24mfcn6dfzrl4rywxalwgayqknrqzyx9lcaxhml92pj6sra9lu5 op_cert: \x62c5d19228982a3440fc74b7dea9d4fb923b5d8910ed94d557403939cc510ef1 op_cert_counter: 14