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 8684709 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 27 slot_no: 90702962 epoch_slot_no: 242162 block_no: 8684532 slot_leader_id: 4981372 size: 46084 time: 2023-04-23 17:00:53 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5056cb967d80ba05a39b95ae5e71b7bcf290556a9876c33945d55acee9c2358dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zex6fy5atu7e7l5akzqqjvzn80valqdng56hta8p3uyvajyhuxpsd7f3v3 op_cert: \x431d118c490f7eab11a8f2a07438733b509b2c248dbc3ab9293ada55f5eacdc2 op_cert_counter: 10