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 8496712 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 49 slot_no: 86829935 epoch_slot_no: 257135 block_no: 8496535 slot_leader_id: 4568166 size: 78242 time: 2023-03-09 21:10:26 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5f7ec6be0ab1f8b54a8865656a2d8e22cfcb45f24b9a02288d2777c3bec1e9f2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1x23fpnnfh69ps2hvyszr7rd478s5gjkx7lh0epv7rdutuurtlr9q08qzt3 op_cert: \x7da5d077687f289cccc8d40f94324c0b3c3bc47b5b010dfcb9422c821f4d2fe2 op_cert_counter: 19