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 8688333 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 90777073 epoch_slot_no: 316273 block_no: 8688156 slot_leader_id: 4558133 size: 16840 time: 2023-04-24 13:36:04 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x59d7b8a6f0d218fecbab8a6471e0d74807df95d3c8d3ce2930921138d181686fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sq2mwyjxq4x8a8xkguduwlg2mqk37nznxyg63dx0jeq50w3c79xs06vq58 op_cert: \xa3f7a580ef81f3a9432aa0d9aa01918407a52817ca26f636ce6880c0321b3008 op_cert_counter: 14