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 8681538 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 90638086 epoch_slot_no: 177286 block_no: 8681361 slot_leader_id: 4746643 size: 34459 time: 2023-04-22 22:59:37 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdfeeef831cfb4697d72a006d539ea692d432b3e12c49b90d81b18bcea41ecbf2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mk6j3jjpufepqyy0x5yj0d8x972s6608z7g477pm6lrysc4dedqst3fqd0 op_cert: \xe36d3f4bc91bcb529f4f552eaf950c3a86ac8f6e76ee48fb74544cd1e6ded4b4 op_cert_counter: 10