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 8496699 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 86829623 epoch_slot_no: 256823 block_no: 8496522 slot_leader_id: 5386302 size: 32256 time: 2023-03-09 21:05:14 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x56ea4b8fd121793b093b0111fd1b415308d4c6467303f47c0499d8925e310010Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ejqumzt5q6x0mzjy2szey5d0xses844l9zcderwde8nv5ramvn8qrxlh73 op_cert: \x1e9353292a6a69a281fb45b029725096122697be55e268f147972b19216ec2c3 op_cert_counter: 10