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 8496408 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 86824013 epoch_slot_no: 251213 block_no: 8496231 slot_leader_id: 5575481 size: 44679 time: 2023-03-09 19:31:44 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7804de12a04dce9e59c12a8ee1ee048e8197c2ce8324659fcb6eb4bd182ab813Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk19hnksn5w9fcrfvz37ausdkwkp8v9c9pns9el33rkcr5kpv9h789s32nuxe op_cert: \x15d335ffc198e9ddbca3873d2d96d2fda56e3e625a9585bf56210509ac9d5e37 op_cert_counter: 8