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 8480640 Details
Epoch: 397 Number of transactions in block: 29 slot_no: 86501760 epoch_slot_no: 360960 block_no: 8480463 slot_leader_id: 5048264 size: 34723 time: 2023-03-06 02:00:51 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x40533a9a1d74dd9eff60d6745c7b0fb1319a0456c24df4068a740d1e633d6f89Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1plptdmkuchc7wxang99cvjadkwpvpwdzsdzsytqgf84aqvsx3rgsmxxv47 op_cert: \x7a80c1ff5ecaf515a83c84ff88f7fe2162d6b7e0e8393c0e0dd9d40fed11de08 op_cert_counter: 12