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 8685403 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 90717629 epoch_slot_no: 256829 block_no: 8685226 slot_leader_id: 4961128 size: 21996 time: 2023-04-23 21:05:20 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8eab48c3beb1484bd04161d5ead7d92d558ae0a1c66cb03770d336cb7f9f2e50Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ajtchlkusa56gkrat3a00y2hxymgrkhckuj04lq6uutegse667js9028dc op_cert: \x3847323a7f1a4fa53b85b694be39838e21fe6e06b6d4616f7f0c3f9bfbc2b457 op_cert_counter: 13