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 8696493 Details
Epoch: 408 Number of transactions in block: 27 slot_no: 90946714 epoch_slot_no: 53914 block_no: 8696316 slot_leader_id: 4630078 size: 66739 time: 2023-04-26 12:43:25 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x842616020332902dfdedf5129d8a18601a0d844f4e7021f9820426e6dc4fc439Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk177scr85eeu7ma3uzx5d69pglcsqjcjaxrkwl228rd75phaxgetyqls072n op_cert: \x922aa01b16312ce22b9594960749b5e1529cca5e6c3aa732b954b919c7dbe0c3 op_cert_counter: 13