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 8686398 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 90736975 epoch_slot_no: 276175 block_no: 8686221 slot_leader_id: 5048909 size: 31211 time: 2023-04-24 02:27:46 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x49b205c2d6b3ae2972377d8bba10be3cbc54de2832816c9444153354ce1748c8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hurwaadlhm7jaaerv8z3pj6d30x4w0pasrvh83nz2rflja8w5ftqnuycng op_cert: \xe7a1ab0c82463189bc92bb8c23fe11d9a4896c1272c738250a4c3cbec682d498 op_cert_counter: 9