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 8686173 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 90732351 epoch_slot_no: 271551 block_no: 8685996 slot_leader_id: 4558271 size: 9804 time: 2023-04-24 01:10:42 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2e8fabf99df3ae3e5aed6b6c2f29a3322177dd496c5a166739da1b06de4c28f3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fn9xu98lfxkgtekf96jwwthjep8malux73nppnjuzrafrz93e58staxe85 op_cert: \x79c118088c885181e3985b312a267c9c7ddbf173936c46328306971a7d9a1896 op_cert_counter: 13