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 8676691 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 90539359 epoch_slot_no: 78559 block_no: 8676514 slot_leader_id: 4691946 size: 45657 time: 2023-04-21 19:34:10 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3d593e0005c97a47201f3c2d2770865fd743dca42e3040b8bc2dfa5c7502df88Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk19yzsxj0wpvns57zq6zw626z27amrnfqmy5j5h7ywj9u693qjzs8s4a24t2 op_cert: \x4aa98dc42feb2c4224c9abf4f8a7130d53b419cd49139a79fbd2be259b1985e4 op_cert_counter: 27