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 8459236 Details
Epoch: 396 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 86061921 epoch_slot_no: 353121 block_no: 8459059 slot_leader_id: 4558271 size: 47839 time: 2023-02-28 23:50:12 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7230c8167cae0ff90972b94093c211c4ab55b40294822f4110fd55f10a15eebcBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fn9xu98lfxkgtekf96jwwthjep8malux73nppnjuzrafrz93e58staxe85 op_cert: \x4e734fe85ba203a2079a1801f53245b36c2dc1b337b0eb15d10bab2eeeba3891 op_cert_counter: 12