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 8685461 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 90718983 epoch_slot_no: 258183 block_no: 8685284 slot_leader_id: 4560858 size: 7967 time: 2023-04-23 21:27:54 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5584041606f7966d9039ef036072f7d01e20ba149aaa068f7aca5b94aef24c96Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mrwwxpf2pdsu4es46gu7rjy82fntc0538p8a7vuhrmu2ddxn68kqstj6y3 op_cert: \x2f0d203930373bd949f96a24c3d810c6f9e01ff695ac9c5ba8b293bb4be77434 op_cert_counter: 11