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 8657162 Details
Epoch: 406 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 90138445 epoch_slot_no: 109645 block_no: 8656985 slot_leader_id: 4567284 size: 30139 time: 2023-04-17 04:12:16 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdc69026a1258da4f388a1ca17fe953d7139c7b6790ca1ff8a18b85dc4bca786eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1efm8z90hncrsra62ep0pcxusfwdncjnya0gzhlrz3uefw6kftmkqeawv72 op_cert: \x9c4d7fe9b8c1d3019ad573a89aef31c2bec69a5d718ffc0abccf8cd2358fd6cc op_cert_counter: 39