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 8491442 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 86722800 epoch_slot_no: 150000 block_no: 8491265 slot_leader_id: 4561787 size: 58590 time: 2023-03-08 15:24:51 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xea68179c74c09f174b6391f834890d3ca0534a032f8797240bef94a59f83a7caBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1smxvme4xjznlgxgxs2kzt3am8p3tza55edcfweyvqtvpfdrm6klq8gxc9l op_cert: \xc4faeed54e43ac4cc8c4cda6c7650e49265de54383a36f2411c69b37194a46f7 op_cert_counter: 12