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 8683362 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 90676029 epoch_slot_no: 215229 block_no: 8683185 slot_leader_id: 5871596 size: 38518 time: 2023-04-23 09:32:00 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x197611f4ce7b4418c8d335fd89a9ef37d3c519780841aa46e3e9434a2c9fcd9fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1meqa9qlyd2ngxcasp20x8f9h5kfuk8ntutdqxfme24xd6sue52gq4k6749 op_cert: \x226815e08d94781c387664d3722b5d837dc0038b04b27bd43fcc06dec22ca140 op_cert_counter: 14