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 8495986 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 10 slot_no: 86815549 epoch_slot_no: 242749 block_no: 8495809 slot_leader_id: 5555947 size: 17377 time: 2023-03-09 17:10:40 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x14c6468b2c4cba38ad1e1bbb2b4b14d0d8ece7b0197237cb071b560d296893b4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lckxm3tasr3lha6zy3t39yh5taayygz0j5dh557maf3qce0883psd629s2 op_cert: \x805072298116e9965d6d82189f20420e1f91575b1c2099685b731fd4375e6317 op_cert_counter: 8