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 8496578 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 34 slot_no: 86827324 epoch_slot_no: 254524 block_no: 8496401 slot_leader_id: 4575269 size: 80230 time: 2023-03-09 20:26:55 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8755fdf3a97ef25787d1a9a2a4ba1c15c7f38626d6c31d154bcc1076ee23ac4fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1p697xaw602mudxcfswfgn7snnl8t3eca30tds8sfk96er247zacqrtaqfh op_cert: \xca97e61a85349efc51a81321189b9785c428db369baacbd0c73542355041aaf6 op_cert_counter: 15