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 8486218 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 86615768 epoch_slot_no: 42968 block_no: 8486041 slot_leader_id: 7903459 size: 36249 time: 2023-03-07 09:40:59 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa8cab1f9ff5a754b275431a3db4d46be05f94cc6ae23dd1bb86238cb34ef5ba2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1z7jkgvsrrxj34y6w87qgqnuy5r2yennekn5pqzza0k7g2ux6mj3s3c5th5 op_cert: \x46eed2e5026549dad48b9807d0a4ae87ec1edde43fce63c25e4d37e9f20a929a op_cert_counter: 2