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 8491949 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 86732961 epoch_slot_no: 160161 block_no: 8491772 slot_leader_id: 4555865 size: 22937 time: 2023-03-08 18:14:12 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x159f8228d20429fbf3d81017172b898a82f560ae64efc95818760bdc8590acf3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1y6rlw79mmm0pjw2n29w0rjr5vgqsrje3nasr3elt2kvm0v9g0z5q40m3d2 op_cert: \xaf539d895e7a2bee728db11421c52153c97185505708b44448b1381fc2d3b3d9 op_cert_counter: 13