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 8466678 Details
Epoch: 397 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 86213421 epoch_slot_no: 72621 block_no: 8466501 slot_leader_id: 4662751 size: 20598 time: 2023-03-02 17:55:12 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x36b287e6106ca66bbaac5bf3c7341b1eaa4f5400d1b383223925141674a855d1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wytjcwdhdzscs33j6qzp9vtq4z9eg7s335x2r6n0mx6cskk9m76qkkk3j2 op_cert: \xc498f7f8868bd1ff063da3a6a383434b75dddb3f7f4e9177aac67ff3b4340897 op_cert_counter: 11