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 8458597 Details
Epoch: 396 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 86049402 epoch_slot_no: 340602 block_no: 8458420 slot_leader_id: 4711714 size: 12797 time: 2023-02-28 20:21:33 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x95131d8f541b7fba6c8f11dc5216bdeb0f9165a25d7f6895c632fbb18b6548f1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1epams3708wqnm8khz8u3hhph9f3zyl7eh3k7a9k2ys03y9nz73msfxhwug op_cert: \xe0d06201507be72cb15dfa067f84e96b8bae836a7a737ae3e39e6b0f0351e405 op_cert_counter: 14