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 8496991 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 86836191 epoch_slot_no: 263391 block_no: 8496814 slot_leader_id: 5530107 size: 15138 time: 2023-03-09 22:54:42 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd27d6319fe8bcec6852bd0efcc24aefd6a8d4508980566dedd3296f56774abf7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ylwztpqhe0swv00erts3m580tg795gwgfx8pqldvyp4htyz3l36qrf4rum op_cert: \xb63b28b8631c35cec8b6e7968211538d3d756d91923bb19c5de3b676d1c311c7 op_cert_counter: 18