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 8409496 Details
Epoch: 394 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 85042263 epoch_slot_no: 197463 block_no: 8409319 slot_leader_id: 5046607 size: 30118 time: 2023-02-17 04:35:54 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x288b9e2baca16357f825ac3dc03ea0bcbdfc96673c01b1d6dd6e7d8480a652c5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ngghyylmk529sf6unkf3v7qq2l9flr4yqpz99gnv25spm9xwyymsslfy77 op_cert: \xdceef3d886c48c16a8df4f41f600b43eb97ccf5a4dd87705cbefdec0093efc69 op_cert_counter: 9