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 8663612 Details
Epoch: 406 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 90271952 epoch_slot_no: 243152 block_no: 8663435 slot_leader_id: 4557401 size: 13074 time: 2023-04-18 17:17:23 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x72e73f4a201de505b52f9e979fe48a35e1cc91a8423f121656341e56ffa3f8dfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1m3gs8np7hsw3lrcwrfgvl2c2dsmrdysdmnwlndpyu5x4mwqumpqsx8582a op_cert: \x32179d2bcddd48ae2712d20a1dd9b336d315512d4756f61db539f9e6a8136e41 op_cert_counter: 18