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 8496886 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 26 slot_no: 86833639 epoch_slot_no: 260839 block_no: 8496709 slot_leader_id: 4555875 size: 87882 time: 2023-03-09 22:12:10 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3c4eca0bdf9063939649f6a41b3cede0a42a8b6e2bac8a0d3ade7199b6c1bbc8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1080mynrknh0p3k69tlsjxrfl2csf3jaxccelvt9xl5w2cjlvastscywtac op_cert: \x1546d76817e2fe665dad0cbe81f8572309364dc39ad0094af160ece634976b78 op_cert_counter: 16