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 8497120 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 29 slot_no: 86838349 epoch_slot_no: 265549 block_no: 8496943 slot_leader_id: 4595854 size: 54357 time: 2023-03-09 23:30:40 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xeebe7c88d17a4fa03b831eb0b4e9e21670a4d8a159d5cc49f819390bdbfeab64Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1n4ml366004vvzm25cutqk0x2jpftcxtf29kdmazvgzueal5wztyslf05tq op_cert: \xb7df862e5957cd52cb6f0a9379223a37416326de097d82d073ea4cf457155345 op_cert_counter: 12