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 8680553 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 90618426 epoch_slot_no: 157626 block_no: 8680376 slot_leader_id: 4736553 size: 84457 time: 2023-04-22 17:31:57 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x856612cd3fa941ba1b46c437618495d6977f63c8afdf210697f82bd1d2d314bcBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vzzngklkz56jwr4vgl9vxny3gkjkkevcns2cwqhhff35k26klm5qez5c3q op_cert: \xc00a6f0652fdd56ec2f6b4bcf559d373e0bf21abf68a66e707226f043cdd7b8e op_cert_counter: 21