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 8466740 Details
Epoch: 397 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 86214505 epoch_slot_no: 73705 block_no: 8466563 slot_leader_id: 7897322 size: 49399 time: 2023-03-02 18:13:16 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdf645c2cb41a655500deb574c8a21917e6aac3f68437a28194960b27761fcfbeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1kwuaxe3d34my778e4fwyewhtuj7s3rnenvyny4pa0qjdf382tycq8dqdm8 op_cert: \x7ffab72b51d24843e818ac5da490940c76527851c02705eda717460dba36fa33 op_cert_counter: 1