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 8491497 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 86723781 epoch_slot_no: 150981 block_no: 8491320 slot_leader_id: 7046819 size: 11014 time: 2023-03-08 15:41:12 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdfe3e33c9cdcf2467190c3044e05fba081e7ef660c7c06510d047de49f1c4ac8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1upgnsznmxmjz9sn60epskd636xc8dnuuahqenhuchw0p4rlvnzusdg6yfc op_cert: \xe5ac75f358911fc7d819c9e6a93aa8e93bbcd2beecf75b04b0dc23f0b91024c5 op_cert_counter: 1659973373