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 8462538 Details
Epoch: 396 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 86129596 epoch_slot_no: 420796 block_no: 8462361 slot_leader_id: 7048039 size: 34996 time: 2023-03-01 18:38:07 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf3855a694afec39fcde43a94e9ece0b5b193daebe2274e88766403ba190e7ea4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk19wjy5a6y8haz078qvnkgc366pmqnmvpva5a3mh0dxk0e97md667qyhecz2 op_cert: \x63430c37c1f8a63f7301fc4c79576a38e3a9c54d14cf6e180c4598c5645bc0a9 op_cert_counter: 1659973402