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 8458663 Details
Epoch: 396 Number of transactions in block: 59 slot_no: 86050817 epoch_slot_no: 342017 block_no: 8458486 slot_leader_id: 5323914 size: 79273 time: 2023-02-28 20:45:08 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9523ce1571b0dc48fe37669e8756464eadfbeacbf9551958ad15dbaf7d57efbdBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1e6we68f8v6kr04d8xj2vw509patykzr5yzkw4njkmxhas0e85zzsvz9ht6 op_cert: \x543b06f5dbf1d123e166d51d0e6d7a3c5d1d7a9b727ec3b102392ca871b1ee88 op_cert_counter: 6