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 8489495 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 86682966 epoch_slot_no: 110166 block_no: 8489318 slot_leader_id: 4626196 size: 3980 time: 2023-03-08 04:20:57 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4020e24c83f419a18dda39a41fffda38d1ac11e2fdae820f453a2b5af6f95688Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pdppl3vx2wxj752ywjy6c963707waeqdn3pux4jywcx7dzeev8wsg0c7kl op_cert: \x42687348593e1c7920a84f7bf4a32f526174b9ad89e2f7189eb9bf64e491a9f0 op_cert_counter: 17