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 8491683 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 86727747 epoch_slot_no: 154947 block_no: 8491506 slot_leader_id: 5680159 size: 35889 time: 2023-03-08 16:47:18 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x62c2bdeacc54a5827e09240f26067aa2d9877d44c142b9e396535a8e2d4c234aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1840xf6mun93gy0zekwmqdeymcu7zgksrd4m3mj6z3x9hwmeerw3snhda68 op_cert: \xcee58aa54866cfc27a481ce2d52e513d040b9e666dbc656100ffb15bd13b649a op_cert_counter: 9