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 8491960 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 86733177 epoch_slot_no: 160377 block_no: 8491783 slot_leader_id: 4594429 size: 37286 time: 2023-03-08 18:17:48 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x494defeec3154dc7987029ccccb5041db11f6570d41037c496b5e509bce17f71Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk10lhmh865dzrfraz0l4ajrergmsdsdl4mmfvqthlu3jdhf0c7fgnsc40dt3 op_cert: \xa9ca187e124ce2920232c0308b16c31315cc55de638a836e841508203f11e5f7 op_cert_counter: 11