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 8486668 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 86625046 epoch_slot_no: 52246 block_no: 8486491 slot_leader_id: 5659787 size: 57749 time: 2023-03-07 12:15:37 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb68e694b4fc89fdce362a0d1f6e6f5c1482d31ff9890e82c2bdf318c7b602ce6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1xrvfu67crxveeea49knzhf48ff9swu5fyqmtcny9st4pqlwffwnqtrhmud op_cert: \xbdc94ce031f7a9ba8b809604d36e7aaca7310ea11b593214b7519a818d299322 op_cert_counter: 6