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 8642349 Details
Epoch: 405 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 89831696 epoch_slot_no: 234896 block_no: 8642172 slot_leader_id: 4566298 size: 68678 time: 2023-04-13 14:59:47 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x946f78a551d1b1c4dcd08ce5d827450ba768d2e10ab0d519c378fce952998f1cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18jwugcagrtfvn0efq9pgpzt327vnqkwstxpqq84q3ndsjqu559lq9u8yv5 op_cert: \x30ace955a247032a6a2f81e64ebb2c678fbdba0b9c303756402c9296bcb71898 op_cert_counter: 13