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 8685186 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 90712677 epoch_slot_no: 251877 block_no: 8685009 slot_leader_id: 5279197 size: 4523 time: 2023-04-23 19:42:48 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7d1ce77b7d04bde9eb2034f8b19a9d8290047e46cfce87ac7adeb7e8d8fbdfcfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1kd22333ze3g69nkml34h36syj5wjedxxm8ykcdlsvgvd5cgklh8sh6szq8 op_cert: \x56aef86eea2becba22c7b78fe6341f6c392acd73a132d3cd4f9ae787453693d3 op_cert_counter: 9