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 8638849 Details
Epoch: 405 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 89760170 epoch_slot_no: 163370 block_no: 8638672 slot_leader_id: 4555906 size: 17401 time: 2023-04-12 19:07:41 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x609182962682072f3958cc9ffa6374d7dab90064048d3ef36e4471f00d8ea704Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ll92u8xvg9ysl55f5gwm7jnz7cm45ynhraf2kyw97knn5muvch6q3jw7cm op_cert: \x563381652971ef896948284ce69804cf7bf4f9b931057c230edb86a44cc83042 op_cert_counter: 18