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 8497171 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 86839511 epoch_slot_no: 266711 block_no: 8496994 slot_leader_id: 5385987 size: 55288 time: 2023-03-09 23:50:02 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc655faf818499a72b0e23999f40681128775443137e40217d817ee285b43dea3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk170ymrwqcz6nxkvtd8wdm4quj9rejfca8hxu0gxyn9kedcg8se58qe4hxnc op_cert: \xb0403c3524ceca37328809b712f7073f8e47be1210d375d8276f374866f25039 op_cert_counter: 10