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 8486408 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 34 slot_no: 86619502 epoch_slot_no: 46702 block_no: 8486231 slot_leader_id: 6538171 size: 81500 time: 2023-03-07 10:43:13 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf611a40469441f98dce71c965c0146243e25eb4b02d73e24bb17afd9ecc2bbf9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18f5xg9y7dmfu8ep0cvscwtldqtjk5m8fud48de0z3kdgqdh0f2tqfyjjr9 op_cert: \xc2a521c037cdef04d1db3e3fda91dd73adacd4875029ab04f56d90747782bb70 op_cert_counter: 10