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 8491045 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 86714459 epoch_slot_no: 141659 block_no: 8490868 slot_leader_id: 5332010 size: 6728 time: 2023-03-08 13:05:50 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x420706157c9ccf6f8840a455bb7d60ed1908d9f604a9e4927d8b0d50e228cecfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1gfvj82r8yl7ffe5pg5w9cgys8dn77cjl0k4wqag8p0rn20ugrxgsxa26jz op_cert: \x7f8bc6817eaf145bef9cb8d1fdb7a5a04e5df0e89ca9cba10885322b7041b9da op_cert_counter: 12