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 8496458 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 86824984 epoch_slot_no: 252184 block_no: 8496281 slot_leader_id: 5412102 size: 50199 time: 2023-03-09 19:47:55 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x244ac79cc8a912f9eda8d750e25e1decba0a05e09e0231f619883089b1719e59Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tpln5vj8nlgrlxac5t0umc546mqdusvq9y2ldr6k3fjrsjscqhaqtzvcth op_cert: \xbddff88c10249c246a48d0fb3118ff781a3fffdde4b76ecc0e74bcf5258b761c op_cert_counter: 9