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 8496042 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 86816650 epoch_slot_no: 243850 block_no: 8495865 slot_leader_id: 5279884 size: 39757 time: 2023-03-09 17:29:01 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xab4020c544a3768b07e9737a9884b5bca82dc47a99c1d5d5dc8eb79df1b5dd08Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1gluunhsc2uat7ywsjk7l4dtr6znj4lhyjhcuvpq4mnwrr07dlfvs8vgmlk op_cert: \xcc893bc6df0ade82bd5d6b40dba7e4b0094b406ba663e78aac1e72e43f9d9a81 op_cert_counter: 9