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 8490918 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 86711882 epoch_slot_no: 139082 block_no: 8490741 slot_leader_id: 6264932 size: 72761 time: 2023-03-08 12:22:53 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc604f026e135d2c85c8fcfb85fd03834955bb8dbe0f1f473c49d6754c89603a7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1facd75wcuf9cwgheternwnug6qn08hp5uu8yy8l4kc9d0hnw7xjqphdgtc op_cert: \xbe2815a0af41b71b0a196a8641f0ab1e16d11af653480b422b09a135086cedcb op_cert_counter: 8