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 8487973 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 86651719 epoch_slot_no: 78919 block_no: 8487796 slot_leader_id: 4558133 size: 36468 time: 2023-03-07 19:40:10 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x98604eb6cdb42a3dd21c112a4aa9184c0497895cb5a11dea0fdc174dfc0af727Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sq2mwyjxq4x8a8xkguduwlg2mqk37nznxyg63dx0jeq50w3c79xs06vq58 op_cert: \xd2855d5a11de764593cdad07f86524104bd1ec6e84d8a2e80350245e76f8e9c5 op_cert_counter: 13