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 8496286 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 41 slot_no: 86821513 epoch_slot_no: 248713 block_no: 8496109 slot_leader_id: 4557937 size: 85818 time: 2023-03-09 18:50:04 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdcd9f078a9368dced98689754aa78029870f780a0940cb28e4f1d62eafcae57bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1z3qaj95vx6mhmzcj63c7f9v4am60fhlz55w5m26wk4nnl0tfc33q4s5h8m op_cert: \xfe1ef254af803bb8b8f36fc2f36627e19d449140024f70dca67afbb706b69e41 op_cert_counter: 14