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 8488540 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 34 slot_no: 86662967 epoch_slot_no: 90167 block_no: 8488363 slot_leader_id: 4626196 size: 48631 time: 2023-03-07 22:47:38 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x475aa39c8dfba4c7223b90893a7570d1d75e6d43edc7c1330cbf5f026be31520Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pdppl3vx2wxj752ywjy6c963707waeqdn3pux4jywcx7dzeev8wsg0c7kl op_cert: \x42687348593e1c7920a84f7bf4a32f526174b9ad89e2f7189eb9bf64e491a9f0 op_cert_counter: 17