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 8660349 Details
Epoch: 406 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 90204531 epoch_slot_no: 175731 block_no: 8660172 slot_leader_id: 5461687 size: 48006 time: 2023-04-17 22:33:42 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc372bee37b1b49c23e812ff97cab61333bb7ab350659946ef5af232340f846f3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pq6pgh9hztgm3enuahyt6m5nkwn87uw9thfevpwaqwh8jgzwj4ks5su272 op_cert: \xf270cec1b04c7f5af9b45f893aa949404e1983e68daf349e99d91ffc047f34bf op_cert_counter: 12