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 8686494 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 90739106 epoch_slot_no: 278306 block_no: 8686317 slot_leader_id: 4635124 size: 40347 time: 2023-04-24 03:03:17 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbea9ad1931c4fa7e0909a2625c6398a42766f47cfe584ea438a7d12dd7eb9b44Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18wylyatfcj0nresevgkqq258r2qsjlc8fgq32p768wssvf4xynkql6cka0 op_cert: \x1d8460f1dbb99bbe5f86c4f82b84f7ad485da0523e9f8294cfc5a7eddee06588 op_cert_counter: 17