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 8466698 Details
Epoch: 397 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 86213676 epoch_slot_no: 72876 block_no: 8466521 slot_leader_id: 6354417 size: 73596 time: 2023-03-02 17:59:27 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa6517a0013608420ae92530780355dde06f5936c88060157c1a8fda2fd2e9627Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1aj7am9e70zv6wu6cep6chknuk0623nt6etcdhvf7kahdweup94zs5u8tz5 op_cert: \xa8f7d1c151966ab37f5994a24f2cabc8227edf4d7b759a8c31dfd5b2cb4bf269 op_cert_counter: 11