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 8688683 Details
Epoch: 407 Number of transactions in block: 10 slot_no: 90784762 epoch_slot_no: 323962 block_no: 8688506 slot_leader_id: 5495683 size: 16434 time: 2023-04-24 15:44:13 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x16951c237c71c1e70cf854020d0ba8a2bfc919d572023d5a3ea7f579e5387f0aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16rypntlhatkcnyrr2w99jmasvnzh9p7utsc6hjc2ezwavqquw79stjmj5a op_cert: \x9217dae5723eacfef632abdbe2db4cc1b0a3b4e01f13b675da099f6b8cc343b7 op_cert_counter: 8