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 8685708 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 90723674 epoch_slot_no: 262874 block_no: 8685531 slot_leader_id: 4556117 size: 42161 time: 2023-04-23 22:46:05 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xaeaa40d2344bf0fa8bce381fe4ecce0905fd373f0c3800a94040193b69af7ceaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1c2lexrd2suefkzu06y3u0hkxvfau9avdvcj9mf6m7se6n5s3r73s6h0rc4 op_cert: \x78273c7bdbdd21555e4ea52354bc558752e78b3963fb4767c8861d0ca0548e5f op_cert_counter: 11