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 8662742 Details
Epoch: 406 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 90253705 epoch_slot_no: 224905 block_no: 8662565 slot_leader_id: 7718073 size: 40641 time: 2023-04-18 12:13:16 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc4faaf0b4aeae5f50f3d37854cc84dbaf7bf5c5e9c97096490c6f858c026b85fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1gyfpaml27jte46klcfqpp3wylfvq3sr7h2jjsmr58eart4cc9qtqyj258r op_cert: \x1d684c3029287993131ab13abd8b7d4c4c70071e90be011818da42e857a96ad4 op_cert_counter: 3