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 8493682 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 86769458 epoch_slot_no: 196658 block_no: 8493505 slot_leader_id: 4943882 size: 12709 time: 2023-03-09 04:22:29 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x82cb6a1ddcd765e3bdbe89b84c9d7c295427f395f8b43d866802106e80b0789fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ytunls0jtlwj52v26a2m79av25tjdhv3uc4lgllsxqwd7ynqjeyqez82j2 op_cert: \xa03ce9745998f5140103d3058aee83d4cbc3dcb5ad33c1e4c809a63910ce2fb2 op_cert_counter: 26