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 8638681 Details
Epoch: 405 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 89756224 epoch_slot_no: 159424 block_no: 8638504 slot_leader_id: 6538171 size: 15977 time: 2023-04-12 18:01:55 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x97657ad4a6f44e3b45c0189a55624380694d8e4ba159b0dccc48e3a1031290c4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18f5xg9y7dmfu8ep0cvscwtldqtjk5m8fud48de0z3kdgqdh0f2tqfyjjr9 op_cert: \xc2a521c037cdef04d1db3e3fda91dd73adacd4875029ab04f56d90747782bb70 op_cert_counter: 10