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 8480495 Details
Epoch: 397 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 86498241 epoch_slot_no: 357441 block_no: 8480318 slot_leader_id: 4566298 size: 31657 time: 2023-03-06 01:02:12 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb778379673795cdfc95891bd4ffa4d55f66cba45a9e99554ceb42646a27b500dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18jwugcagrtfvn0efq9pgpzt327vnqkwstxpqq84q3ndsjqu559lq9u8yv5 op_cert: \x30ace955a247032a6a2f81e64ebb2c678fbdba0b9c303756402c9296bcb71898 op_cert_counter: 13