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 8462598 Details
Epoch: 396 Number of transactions in block: 29 slot_no: 86130626 epoch_slot_no: 421826 block_no: 8462421 slot_leader_id: 5495683 size: 80624 time: 2023-03-01 18:55:17 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x28c4ec066d398924e7524720456175987a5eaf4ce7ec9f69a649ed6a2f6238a6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16rypntlhatkcnyrr2w99jmasvnzh9p7utsc6hjc2ezwavqquw79stjmj5a op_cert: \x9217dae5723eacfef632abdbe2db4cc1b0a3b4e01f13b675da099f6b8cc343b7 op_cert_counter: 8