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 8491864 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 86731077 epoch_slot_no: 158277 block_no: 8491687 slot_leader_id: 7718752 size: 18520 time: 2023-03-08 17:42:48 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x83be211e8fc66c3217953eaa518d354c21ca04c9bebb982efc11f21988febf12Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fs9l47kfluypfaezzetmvfmspmplxrdcpkzv93548zzcg2dz00kqrkqnl7 op_cert: \xc9a7c1099f9bbb7883c6431153e8bb2b30592dbc571be35e3d1a397682d11cee op_cert_counter: 2