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 8496856 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 55 slot_no: 86833159 epoch_slot_no: 260359 block_no: 8496679 slot_leader_id: 7897322 size: 88774 time: 2023-03-09 22:04:10 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x15e729005c81262908037df50ff40b01580f6298df09f1f8f17816f682129b7aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1kwuaxe3d34my778e4fwyewhtuj7s3rnenvyny4pa0qjdf382tycq8dqdm8 op_cert: \x7ffab72b51d24843e818ac5da490940c76527851c02705eda717460dba36fa33 op_cert_counter: 1