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 8642861 Details
Epoch: 405 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 89843186 epoch_slot_no: 246386 block_no: 8642684 slot_leader_id: 5279197 size: 83597 time: 2023-04-13 18:11:17 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa01fddf6bc684c2c75cd4dd1d1b8de4e6f6e67c801e17d48145710bcf57d7f15Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1kd22333ze3g69nkml34h36syj5wjedxxm8ykcdlsvgvd5cgklh8sh6szq8 op_cert: \x56aef86eea2becba22c7b78fe6341f6c392acd73a132d3cd4f9ae787453693d3 op_cert_counter: 9