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 8497169 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 86839479 epoch_slot_no: 266679 block_no: 8496992 slot_leader_id: 5530107 size: 263 time: 2023-03-09 23:49:30 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5a81b43413804c82bcbe691308296e2cf71c5a804a5e9b23d92213412b1e45aaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ylwztpqhe0swv00erts3m580tg795gwgfx8pqldvyp4htyz3l36qrf4rum op_cert: \xb63b28b8631c35cec8b6e7968211538d3d756d91923bb19c5de3b676d1c311c7 op_cert_counter: 18