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 8685045 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 90709941 epoch_slot_no: 249141 block_no: 8684868 slot_leader_id: 8598889 size: 41660 time: 2023-04-23 18:57:12 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x05b978b2025ac3b147bf2c282faefdc9a156e91c15b38478a105644081b863b3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tx99kz3ureuvcmgsdnmhyggq588uct4vngqw7nuz7ayngvkyts5sctza7s op_cert: \x1e3ecd8223fd6ab14f789b7faaf5d47341bfa389598b7c67651d19c66efae294 op_cert_counter: 0