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 8685980 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 90728813 epoch_slot_no: 268013 block_no: 8685803 slot_leader_id: 4662751 size: 18029 time: 2023-04-24 00:11:44 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3a2e3cd3838172315ccb53721eb34d913f376c7420545962f0ba0cba4387aca4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wytjcwdhdzscs33j6qzp9vtq4z9eg7s335x2r6n0mx6cskk9m76qkkk3j2 op_cert: \xc498f7f8868bd1ff063da3a6a383434b75dddb3f7f4e9177aac67ff3b4340897 op_cert_counter: 11