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 8497058 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 42 slot_no: 86837417 epoch_slot_no: 264617 block_no: 8496881 slot_leader_id: 4671216 size: 68837 time: 2023-03-09 23:15:08 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa3b0092847431ae392a2cdd687d9a4ac0ff620835bc0d9e2a2a7e042f9f3474eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk19n0pvl9egpmf90hv0d6qf7ldehv307shs9pmh045vy90ns62n5sq3l4ft3 op_cert: \x1f1d31e099cb2aafe0fac67e12a0ab8af614cd9f7be60ef76040dbc509aa4424 op_cert_counter: 37