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 8686836 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 90746365 epoch_slot_no: 285565 block_no: 8686659 slot_leader_id: 5369783 size: 2614 time: 2023-04-24 05:04:16 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe78a8a816b6de18646d733d1c3e249854a6fd26dcc249782f3c6e21ebc5595e1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1as9t8jgwwcw2d7pfmktqlct98rgap0td0hs6kckqjr3xkvhq4tzqf2ghxw op_cert: \xccfae35ff49a60323e424cc8926e5ae61ddd8a993ae8def02d472288bc0d12d7 op_cert_counter: 10