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 8496580 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 38 slot_no: 86827362 epoch_slot_no: 254562 block_no: 8496403 slot_leader_id: 5030962 size: 80043 time: 2023-03-09 20:27:33 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb78aa6704f1fb1f3e447b4e3790dd9a6f890ef441e3967eb7755fc3ce21ac216Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1yu426l0g25r4zexgg244jpjjrhy5lat0rqk6cuknyyzkvylaaqksvmuz0e op_cert: \xebf3ff3b3e35ffa10e2bfefc80f051b4af344b41817e57fc28f1713066ce3c12 op_cert_counter: 11