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 8486744 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 86626668 epoch_slot_no: 53868 block_no: 8486567 slot_leader_id: 4869078 size: 26867 time: 2023-03-07 12:42:39 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x59c1f2290d48dda3e31b6f3d1eb96007852a62726c960556ae40252d3789795fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wtrryjjkch77gg8lpueyy3lqltdehrt3d56kgvtvtsculnexcvks44hjm9 op_cert: \x74c66dbf7fe60951f625e258d4ce58459a268b4897008681e5e95bf8212fc62d op_cert_counter: 13