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 8698163 Details
Epoch: 408 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 90980868 epoch_slot_no: 88068 block_no: 8697986 slot_leader_id: 8590916 size: 55608 time: 2023-04-26 22:12:39 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x53e59ecf450eba88ac8dd59859ea891e6a547edae521a5a60385b9e6def4f303Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1e48hddhrl45ekwxgkfspg4d6g5ktdhl6w96g7e9endalzg093nnql4qzd4 op_cert: \xaa8d74c89f0e4aacd3ac9d04802fb1f19eea419720d1e76f577d508e4e606dac op_cert_counter: 1