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 8496938 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 86834723 epoch_slot_no: 261923 block_no: 8496761 slot_leader_id: 4556264 size: 4608 time: 2023-03-09 22:30:14 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x408af45d14c80d3d60a4a8d60c09935d2e34c4eaced42e875cd5ea8cae3ceb60Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1x8944k6j572wpdtz4tn3l9pam2ddhp6an35ma4ug9mr2rvqflz3shpaj36 op_cert: \x4d2d6cf47f64364c4130a811e3bc9c5d42e37efea37a81e4a84cdc11d547fc7d op_cert_counter: 13