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 8489996 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 86693086 epoch_slot_no: 120286 block_no: 8489819 slot_leader_id: 4556157 size: 16876 time: 2023-03-08 07:09:37 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x42caa3f1a657b7cd581d9ead8f63cde2edaff8978b0f55e93ba4458ab6b929f2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk14sh5zmrke03tmsucrwuz5r0e7ehgva2q5dxq8e7wxqe3af2f7ezq8e47h6 op_cert: \xd6909928d6518da35821a3e5f2428d0ca0ca5c35f8d87681fa9531f9024bf395 op_cert_counter: 14