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 8660505 Details
Epoch: 406 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 90207484 epoch_slot_no: 178684 block_no: 8660328 slot_leader_id: 6936654 size: 59428 time: 2023-04-17 23:22:55 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xae0eb18428db72888c0c452b9ea7a45e4ce45a81bb1c03a7c81a1175f603dac1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ppzt3jggs8j87j8728g985mkap6pduacmwsrt5l42jwh42vws4rqekdat0 op_cert: \x4daad00e0673ef4a08f407437253c0dcc1a18d5391593b0f150ec6904be42331 op_cert_counter: 5