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 8657249 Details
Epoch: 406 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 90140199 epoch_slot_no: 111399 block_no: 8657072 slot_leader_id: 4794341 size: 14618 time: 2023-04-17 04:41:30 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x23b30c262d65b6f7fa1aef5907edce3a13d728d3f59673a17ca0461e63e3d92bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hnkdcm6y67amyfnhu4gv2n77496wxmnznke6fqdan53j20mc6jjq7q98e6 op_cert: \xc34cd24497c675e59ea72d854543d1bf2527dc7e84ecfce7a9d0a977b3d968dc op_cert_counter: 22