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 8491714 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 86728309 epoch_slot_no: 155509 block_no: 8491537 slot_leader_id: 5066920 size: 17851 time: 2023-03-08 16:56:40 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xde657c98a20b65662ef74ffb60fba26db062a8f2a0952a9279bfaa0589583ceeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1veze9zl7jypnll73uqkq7kaxgpkwp2hr5lv5cvkh4p52zdz0u34s86fjp9 op_cert: \xa57edea244ea9c143ad94fd4a416853b162ebc24a8dbff59319c615e0c0b7729 op_cert_counter: 13