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 8681617 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 27 slot_no: 90640066 epoch_slot_no: 179266 block_no: 8681440 slot_leader_id: 4636355 size: 84503 time: 2023-04-22 23:32:37 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbd8cfba24ee4df07e5d5c9aa9228c2e76c49dfc660615b1a0af9d5bb08a57d1eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1s8t9cm805fjq7jyvl5ehdrqzqhykrv234vze03eh0s9evfnz5npqt5k68k op_cert: \x3563988aa2c5faa68660dd60d5ff1316a29dc80d333ce5986d4e24e4bed7fe17 op_cert_counter: 11