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 8480684 Details
Epoch: 397 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 86502618 epoch_slot_no: 361818 block_no: 8480507 slot_leader_id: 5344234 size: 18784 time: 2023-03-06 02:15:09 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3be8d855d0bba99818991107dc39f9e74babf414a95f44864f7edec084342ebaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1e4g6ct3askt27fc0zjmhaxgyqjkq6x3yrjmaud2r7nnk4hkve5kshgex99 op_cert: \x858f1f73fdda824de092760b3e0ad16cd9862fcee1e9fc34dcde8285ceb8b3fb op_cert_counter: 9