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 8496801 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 86831858 epoch_slot_no: 259058 block_no: 8496624 slot_leader_id: 4560270 size: 68949 time: 2023-03-09 21:42:29 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xfc60253250fbf681213e8cf44e5981c990d75bdb4b78d2df3c27393e2d400f68Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1eygszpd9hamesusngyd3sycdnwq9f30vu34jhcm9kvvjl7zgx4cqne3ldf op_cert: \xa011db077ca19d0ac0569384b467c07d8b968a5c516666fbaaf95cb54ab1c30b op_cert_counter: 11