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 8638976 Details
Epoch: 405 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 89762937 epoch_slot_no: 166137 block_no: 8638799 slot_leader_id: 5154189 size: 39495 time: 2023-04-12 19:53:48 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x31d403b66b838bec9b0f7b35fdf0bab0749a71660696e4415eb305f58fad9467Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18svxfgx9c6hrjsu2yu0zye7fjjhgammq2une528athfuvnyjwatq0hlkvm op_cert: \x1087558fc744419289d8c4505b6169533322be0ed507b2bbf79c01d3b8881a6c op_cert_counter: 13