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 8458673 Details
Epoch: 396 Number of transactions in block: 44 slot_no: 86051000 epoch_slot_no: 342200 block_no: 8458496 slot_leader_id: 4981372 size: 82217 time: 2023-02-28 20:48:11 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x287f5ffb63ec7c9237be7e873a5acef30a80488844cdb74fcfff5200402360dbBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zex6fy5atu7e7l5akzqqjvzn80valqdng56hta8p3uyvajyhuxpsd7f3v3 op_cert: \xfd296caa2b25183c71a0c107bb76f2865a99a7e269204a5c7b2210ce923182c5 op_cert_counter: 9