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 8678613 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 90577888 epoch_slot_no: 117088 block_no: 8678436 slot_leader_id: 5533593 size: 56168 time: 2023-04-22 06:16:19 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3cbfaadc17ff0a25b20347155fe3fa56e13be7d3a80e3d9dbefb687b95624c91Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk10s4fgpaf0vx9aeg7sueh2n55nwlgdqag2ehxp3tmdaed8q7cf3zq76jlz2 op_cert: \xe79f1fbc7a435ae8ff4c8ca035168893b677bc834ef1a541fd302f70d0a467a9 op_cert_counter: 8