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 8496614 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 86828024 epoch_slot_no: 255224 block_no: 8496437 slot_leader_id: 5194479 size: 66683 time: 2023-03-09 20:38:35 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x423c4ef313dea20b8cb6300a258580f32f4165353a2e4f6a848aaaacdcb9afcdBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1psw4mlecqfq0ksa67t6yd5u2av0h00vstq0ymgt8hp7ctxv2w05qk5enpp op_cert: \x2d77719b6f0ead212a7e7d7934a584acf909650bb51eb38237bb02999e738c52 op_cert_counter: 9