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 8685717 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 90723836 epoch_slot_no: 263036 block_no: 8685540 slot_leader_id: 5449570 size: 3564 time: 2023-04-23 22:48:47 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x06ed611caf28884172280b364eb6e0c15e96415e2cb175912cd85e5176737e65Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1t9ldgqvw7f6lvht0ykznym9r6xr3nz5da6hmkl90vtu2hhpwghes67da3q op_cert: \x0b8be7d14c22b386df77dd23fda58c53c5eab09902d26506fef0acace6480712 op_cert_counter: 12