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 8496972 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 86835747 epoch_slot_no: 262947 block_no: 8496795 slot_leader_id: 4561787 size: 10683 time: 2023-03-09 22:47:18 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x32c300f0974cbb1c1889b72e18c7cd0b199441cc1ccf14ae6faad76214b5d7c7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1smxvme4xjznlgxgxs2kzt3am8p3tza55edcfweyvqtvpfdrm6klq8gxc9l op_cert: \xc4faeed54e43ac4cc8c4cda6c7650e49265de54383a36f2411c69b37194a46f7 op_cert_counter: 12