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 8696678 Details
Epoch: 408 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 90950543 epoch_slot_no: 57743 block_no: 8696501 slot_leader_id: 8526873 size: 6580 time: 2023-04-26 13:47:14 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x51079600ebd171bd22f1823e7aa778ecb12bff4eed2cfd2db6bc5b97a8b2d1ceBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ev5pyusz25vqhp36jk0j0g5tknc8t5ymj2g8qfsq53n8qlf7ey5sc93rfc op_cert: \xf9733da028880207c54ea0fe90dd2c33a1d4291e2460f8c4219bbd5a45fc7b5d op_cert_counter: 3