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 8496403 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 44 slot_no: 86823930 epoch_slot_no: 251130 block_no: 8496226 slot_leader_id: 4558367 size: 61672 time: 2023-03-09 19:30:21 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd65f0e21fcb0c797a12fd98fc21295cc85243d97a600bdafef33383e0eadd8f8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nkf2z3s4sm00xtme6n7yxwdaye0dhwpz8zptyh22u9ex4pnugzmsulqnd6 op_cert: \xdfd8d880264fbdafc5d9ee2d77d96a4fb94b601b80e616b8b20b2a620e684a6f op_cert_counter: 14