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 8684612 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 90700971 epoch_slot_no: 240171 block_no: 8684435 slot_leader_id: 4555865 size: 13924 time: 2023-04-23 16:27:42 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb714e77f676abc411607ce71bce3dd9c124ece01623a4b3e048c46dfda6e2b0fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1y6rlw79mmm0pjw2n29w0rjr5vgqsrje3nasr3elt2kvm0v9g0z5q40m3d2 op_cert: \x317b7352a51d4c675c1e884b2c9688c967721d0fb9464ac76344743701983604 op_cert_counter: 14