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 8496650 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 86828763 epoch_slot_no: 255963 block_no: 8496473 slot_leader_id: 5279424 size: 75470 time: 2023-03-09 20:50:54 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x6c18dc08787883796a26453f323321312c92e1d961b2775b853a63ec3175b0d3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1p47uy3d4f4xezthhfxqdjtlc63m76tpaj25p4u7tw4fhc6p0raushsdgg5 op_cert: \x0c39a2d26eadc702454426f6e98a78d40cbc1311cf694f28038e15ddd8c3c38c op_cert_counter: 9