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 8496913 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 86834193 epoch_slot_no: 261393 block_no: 8496736 slot_leader_id: 6447436 size: 77110 time: 2023-03-09 22:21:24 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf9604624ed006293a45aeac76d76f6e3bacbe439234d9f0e2a3cbd83b8c78b94Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tr5lu7scqtdfdehvvt4kf7t9pewysl7wflzh9xs78fyd3p3vp9ksqg9gvm op_cert: \x0cff4114b440f7aaad83edede5b3e88a9501dea6736d8eb9e0784767c49ac332 op_cert_counter: 7