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 8685503 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 90719760 epoch_slot_no: 258960 block_no: 8685326 slot_leader_id: 7903459 size: 52635 time: 2023-04-23 21:40:51 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2aaca2e941c55df139139bff60da088d4eaf3b05a679fefe1d23daad626a839eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1z7jkgvsrrxj34y6w87qgqnuy5r2yennekn5pqzza0k7g2ux6mj3s3c5th5 op_cert: \xabd4a79e884f06528775a4cda61bc162743a254485a6466741abcad572d1f805 op_cert_counter: 3