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 8496308 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 86821839 epoch_slot_no: 249039 block_no: 8496131 slot_leader_id: 5045242 size: 33043 time: 2023-03-09 18:55:30 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3d5136c3e402b1029c6fbf6e79798d0fc9dc9963a455f16ffdd0c6ea2ff77888Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16u9vnslzgy03650yjltyft60mlschgp96zdd4np8ylkf5a8ugfrq8cq5dl op_cert: \x16bd0b48505795c40723cdbc821d5ec253c709b4b0f0104f0f488fa7b6ed0604 op_cert_counter: 12