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 8685311 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 90715666 epoch_slot_no: 254866 block_no: 8685134 slot_leader_id: 7046819 size: 55933 time: 2023-04-23 20:32:37 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc8f7451074e2d5dab8e466be5b4d834d3aedc3c7d0ef1b1f52930aeeec0373b8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1upgnsznmxmjz9sn60epskd636xc8dnuuahqenhuchw0p4rlvnzusdg6yfc op_cert: \x52b6fc73f9604214eabe9d0c0f90f0fd8ad68b6454d180f80346e50b6f550222 op_cert_counter: 1659973376