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 8685439 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 90718423 epoch_slot_no: 257623 block_no: 8685262 slot_leader_id: 4565000 size: 2979 time: 2023-04-23 21:18:34 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x997dd8863088862e41a1ce0c4c735642f7dafdfecfacc4cf65d71f350ff9e507Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nf4ql83gqmx3v4l04dzwwlwf8xtcgt6nmv36d9847mmylrrzxu6scj4yh4 op_cert: \x50defcd71b79f94e7e6957cbb1b270c9533e940608507c3c7826cfd5ce6490f0 op_cert_counter: 14