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 8496814 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 86832113 epoch_slot_no: 259313 block_no: 8496637 slot_leader_id: 4565000 size: 5116 time: 2023-03-09 21:46:44 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xaefad6e7bad5a236229c67d63d541fa5fe239b2d8dcdf8bc6014211f677f8afeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nf4ql83gqmx3v4l04dzwwlwf8xtcgt6nmv36d9847mmylrrzxu6scj4yh4 op_cert: \x58ca86422b35e327f885e5ca9876fc16e43dff1665f1e8a14225a2cd5ccb0b5d op_cert_counter: 13