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 8491435 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 86722596 epoch_slot_no: 149796 block_no: 8491258 slot_leader_id: 6058284 size: 36391 time: 2023-03-08 15:21:27 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x049301409cef95881d47cb1774b3feec6bc420b72dd6212c6ef706ee8b960767Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1gwdurtpzkdz3tyqcnhj4pedz6e7mtdqa4ta7t6808alqy5h0qa8qcsa246 op_cert: \x4e0ec3b74484f44ccc82a790a042f644a23475b0ac299532140b352a68044b0d op_cert_counter: 12