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 8656608 Details
Epoch: 406 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 90126438 epoch_slot_no: 97638 block_no: 8656431 slot_leader_id: 4556351 size: 15753 time: 2023-04-17 00:52:09 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xce7977f5673c205f85235410e6a05111e38762b9e175700e4fa68e7d2dcdc904Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vpf2x74q4rz5ypeekn4vx7rnddfygwjg2mgkukmgque84c7dhyxqgz7zas op_cert: \x1f14c07df070635ebe52f29fac2772fdd5e2d03ef07ff5b8add0038f45ba1d60 op_cert_counter: 21