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 8496334 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 37 slot_no: 86822324 epoch_slot_no: 249524 block_no: 8496157 slot_leader_id: 4560329 size: 86106 time: 2023-03-09 19:03:35 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x49251f7cfa8582d843a970b9e0e45cb800def0d119b2ad9f00f33885277101b5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1rcczqvh08687crmnemj7ykr8t5nhygv97uhjafn2wtkvhm43uc8qm8z782 op_cert: \x89f23512de30150578af0e7941d24bc68be4fcc20ad040537d62d99f266b7092 op_cert_counter: 14