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 8686823 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 90746026 epoch_slot_no: 285226 block_no: 8686646 slot_leader_id: 4575489 size: 27706 time: 2023-04-24 04:58:37 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc7f269b575c79e7c3e53468fb937fd4ff04f74cc1d7c20f87f9b2ff9b5b528f4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tyn3yxr59rqghey6yr8psxxgnkh9j8um8hngzax2xkxgzyyh5nus6f96u5 op_cert: \x5aa997451de4e76dfa7f8978c48e878f508430140619a6474c66731226774afe op_cert_counter: 14