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 8459853 Details
Epoch: 396 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 86074176 epoch_slot_no: 365376 block_no: 8459676 slot_leader_id: 4700074 size: 18831 time: 2023-03-01 03:14:27 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf306250157c4a968cb73c292019b93f0a342b7869b570231a60883292c57aadeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lhpjghvpvyrrepu2um08lpgs8z7dp9wuyx4n7mtqkvm86zrxqg9staf8tc op_cert: \xa175725a35c657f052a7ce395b59380f871ed332ab88f265a8e4b4a5a49d97ab op_cert_counter: 10