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 8496346 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 41 slot_no: 86822760 epoch_slot_no: 249960 block_no: 8496169 slot_leader_id: 7399631 size: 88751 time: 2023-03-09 19:10:51 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x08a387ca78a828d9ba36223153a40acbce118bd6d9e4b65d732d9b18c6d819e4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1eccgrlghe3v3dmdfsydvw05wrfz8cx0s6na2hkm8fka6uhmqkzes5q60k3 op_cert: \xcdaba2b5e1ec3dbbb39a3d7e238a6a5afe73cdf6ae475d18802c7c2abf873efe op_cert_counter: 1659975259