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 8459978 Details
Epoch: 396 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 86076993 epoch_slot_no: 368193 block_no: 8459801 slot_leader_id: 4580757 size: 82594 time: 2023-03-01 04:01:24 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x6a688bf65e4d8541de9cba242a9c26cb8b6421138383f1dc77a91fd9066e0b90Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1st3ysz45pektlvnsxj3s8454x5m8l2jqxjslkcqjk0zuu66l3qfql2m7rv op_cert: \xf79d195113c5e9a2b522907b84cbbb68ca5610fc843b3df912c4e1950941cf09 op_cert_counter: 12