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 8642413 Details
Epoch: 405 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 89833197 epoch_slot_no: 236397 block_no: 8642236 slot_leader_id: 5038629 size: 18898 time: 2023-04-13 15:24:48 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x960e12d4a346f95b4f46e26b30fe0d8ecc7b3effb75189e0232fafeb3a6ebc5eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1225yd8gdk4pd4jujmh976nrnskrh5hnkgexjwkmqxwml67tjfm9qxaypnx op_cert: \x37b3cb119be2a2eb949c81566b2d4ca8b21df9b6708d9513b041782f4949cb9e op_cert_counter: 11