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 8643499 Details
Epoch: 405 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 89856197 epoch_slot_no: 259397 block_no: 8643322 slot_leader_id: 8526618 size: 46590 time: 2023-04-13 21:48:08 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xef138a8be738b579fad204d3a2b850a5f9349e0b74b06cd97a27b731f851032dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1xkknefdcqjrgxjpltns9372x3wafyu4dqc6nkz50f7hyxe4ny9hsfhptzl op_cert: \x446c18848cead2a3c9e7ff1551f5619352258ba158829877e6cbc8dd56a9c057 op_cert_counter: 1