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 8684823 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 90705238 epoch_slot_no: 244438 block_no: 8684646 slot_leader_id: 4558711 size: 44158 time: 2023-04-23 17:38:49 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1a0190052172b366299709d3b3c99ce4cfa8759858e37681d6407f6361837a76Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1xnpprrn77xe9as4a7cv5dehdr5ju6h06w87nn4rnfr2kr2dw3jyqpcy2r6 op_cert: \xdce5a78ac7f1ecd17264747228adb0f633720ca44a0b4691856f36bac5a932a7 op_cert_counter: 12