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 8488173 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 86655353 epoch_slot_no: 82553 block_no: 8487996 slot_leader_id: 7581720 size: 54651 time: 2023-03-07 20:40:44 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9e4dc410d317412260e242c8fb167ba2d7f1aa4a3be1c86e6e97c4a030412492Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk10f4kn8560r3lmfzyu3fhu7jh3zlksm730r2s5pkzcdnvr9p7fprsnxz3hj op_cert: \x2f623b4f47ff3aa54a7e8998b715ae6ac200e1e222af723b5db484c8fc1fb18b op_cert_counter: 1659975663