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 8663696 Details
Epoch: 406 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 90273874 epoch_slot_no: 245074 block_no: 8663519 slot_leader_id: 4560270 size: 14631 time: 2023-04-18 17:49:25 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9fd6ad7ef3e3eb3384baeeb2cccbd222be8326a3dab033e381495fdbb0877539Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1eygszpd9hamesusngyd3sycdnwq9f30vu34jhcm9kvvjl7zgx4cqne3ldf op_cert: \xa011db077ca19d0ac0569384b467c07d8b968a5c516666fbaaf95cb54ab1c30b op_cert_counter: 11