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 8495837 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 86812763 epoch_slot_no: 239963 block_no: 8495660 slot_leader_id: 4941448 size: 37283 time: 2023-03-09 16:24:14 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x44159c1ea04e84ddb0c7f21d4a613d59fc9ca8d3694b81d7cc30b3005a8fb7d2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mmahu03jycqskaywr79hsckf4esdyecu7g3lypnnznrhps3ddylsn4fya9 op_cert: \x4f80f648073fa535ffd5f4a47328c0c4dd82451cfb1d763bb56ba3d769d8f7a0 op_cert_counter: 18