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 8478603 Details
Epoch: 397 Number of transactions in block: 53 slot_no: 86458581 epoch_slot_no: 317781 block_no: 8478426 slot_leader_id: 4555974 size: 65932 time: 2023-03-05 14:01:12 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdde21801ccfcb2367dd14daa1aef8fd4be4757a2a32321e3ac63d326f45f357eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1h6dppjvlwnetf76p4n09x5rc5cfh4atyyrxfhdy0azz4rcv4p2xqfuugd3 op_cert: \x0c0ed124376907094a7e1029f37622b6bd9f09de4de46a0d4869bef8d74de0dd op_cert_counter: 13