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 8497163 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 86839304 epoch_slot_no: 266504 block_no: 8496986 slot_leader_id: 4555407 size: 33205 time: 2023-03-09 23:46:35 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x44a5fb607cd4747f6386abd59152814ce6bb7b94dc6a4fdff45a2db0192af62cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dpe0n23qr4eqd4yq7f8q2zt5s7hxwvx2sh39p22j5jv9dya6j6hsavwa7s op_cert: \xda69896a043cf10916a15525d00763f2d569f2b54d19370cd7cfd907b8965726 op_cert_counter: 15