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 8496820 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 48 slot_no: 86832344 epoch_slot_no: 259544 block_no: 8496643 slot_leader_id: 4595854 size: 83931 time: 2023-03-09 21:50:35 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1f218ff993d90161be61907535146cc1c2012b6de1f748616212f1f25b188599Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1n4ml366004vvzm25cutqk0x2jpftcxtf29kdmazvgzueal5wztyslf05tq op_cert: \xb7df862e5957cd52cb6f0a9379223a37416326de097d82d073ea4cf457155345 op_cert_counter: 12