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 8486674 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 86625105 epoch_slot_no: 52305 block_no: 8486497 slot_leader_id: 7376972 size: 22394 time: 2023-03-07 12:16:36 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xaa90f71ac00f3324dc34e4f320bf3647a579a140a6a5ffd157ef7be89e22bec0Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qwrpx8sujdrfea30lh8uapmqtfle2u94eyuxj6g56h4sfumw90wsk7424w op_cert: \x1e56a643fd410fad43b7ed98283b01fffea4ba8f2bb34e011e2e635f0da3121d op_cert_counter: 1659975353