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 8496679 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 86829262 epoch_slot_no: 256462 block_no: 8496502 slot_leader_id: 5159587 size: 15401 time: 2023-03-09 20:59:13 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1b1c05e684a1d344986be0df858ff62619bf10ee10f39cc55a5cf8b008812079Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dghjrkap5utjf6zcx99vux2uauvveypref40097nl5cw8j7tftyscjsuaw op_cert: \xade5c5a3a0cd3e9f7e7397bde3cbe19f5e5c36cc26ed4f135ef746f53f914951 op_cert_counter: 9