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 8489646 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 86686371 epoch_slot_no: 113571 block_no: 8489469 slot_leader_id: 7895044 size: 55146 time: 2023-03-08 05:17:42 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2df58c9be7ff879d9aed51d6336c29a4707f60f82e812934910922fffc2916aaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zavhf95ryxte9j9fph280n36uma85ulaujz2df4f0k6ndefnurvs9rm829 op_cert: \xa545b468be13c895739b174aa13fc36a13641943f4695d8197e05e99cb7c6977 op_cert_counter: 2