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 8486861 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 86628947 epoch_slot_no: 56147 block_no: 8486684 slot_leader_id: 6132697 size: 13871 time: 2023-03-07 13:20:38 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbfdaf9ac7a62e5c3c0d9fbda605c98177e462b8d6ce2fda95a2b92e7cf11b8eeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nw759hxxm5wauz2ge6nsfzr49d89j2rvrplfcd4ewzncgcynr5zq6pwrt7 op_cert: \x5ab952c2715e83120648b4f90d1540450ee272d9fd1b918ff67ffd7afe736488 op_cert_counter: 8