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 8723561 Details
Epoch: 409 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 91497326 epoch_slot_no: 172526 block_no: 8723384 slot_leader_id: 4581690 size: 87168 time: 2023-05-02 21:40:17 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3bdc36523a897fb8380673463a5a13d8c27afaa9087d9742fbaa6f016f1f6e46Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk177kj2rcy75e0epp2uyxnf5t2g58nkcdpmp6wyfvec2jyc9fj6thqg2w5js op_cert: \x4a919de71d52565ed5edf828c8b929fa581c856392c6abbd6964722e92ce25cd op_cert_counter: 9