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 8680696 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 90621368 epoch_slot_no: 160568 block_no: 8680519 slot_leader_id: 7581727 size: 17470 time: 2023-04-22 18:20:59 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x31ab12fb51fa68f2927765b0768a0a9657ffa96e5e1125e0d627351d234dd7f2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18stcjdcu588hsmyhcpjq98vqwmw9ry3gamvyldv6rdwv75gfxflq82dh27 op_cert: \x2356060372bdc342523fd9eb59c8f75880c83b4626c8b47be9bb00b3c7fcbecf op_cert_counter: 3