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 8683603 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 90680554 epoch_slot_no: 219754 block_no: 8683426 slot_leader_id: 5048264 size: 13113 time: 2023-04-23 10:47:25 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x46880ef0d9fb1671623aea584737eb2697ca2c4a7ea3ba6f32ab806cdf30567eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1plptdmkuchc7wxang99cvjadkwpvpwdzsdzsytqgf84aqvsx3rgsmxxv47 op_cert: \x7a80c1ff5ecaf515a83c84ff88f7fe2162d6b7e0e8393c0e0dd9d40fed11de08 op_cert_counter: 12