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 8496387 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 29 slot_no: 86823514 epoch_slot_no: 250714 block_no: 8496210 slot_leader_id: 4572916 size: 56866 time: 2023-03-09 19:23:25 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x981002afd37f698880a5774a142a4657323602e472182649280741b0d62151aeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sh946l2qfxu5q8xu7sw3xmp07d4ph764frje3qm0p2wy6pu08u2qxwxfqw op_cert: \x02cda2e51c5dab98386b36f80a0c6929c91f6b21a8bb821c6351f696a99b7fc2 op_cert_counter: 20