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 8496073 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 86817311 epoch_slot_no: 244511 block_no: 8495896 slot_leader_id: 4556690 size: 56125 time: 2023-03-09 17:40:02 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x336a34aa3e81743883dd7868ec08b5423841bae7bb565ccab2989215d3457f64Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1j78vqh6g4ewcwlumwawamtdcrmjsam3twycdw6k2a8pefcl3cvtsx90rwl op_cert: \x68c083918839390a643084330bc8bcca91308fa76bdd721a7b72de8cd090ba1b op_cert_counter: 12