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 8497174 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 35 slot_no: 86839620 epoch_slot_no: 266820 block_no: 8496997 slot_leader_id: 5023459 size: 77202 time: 2023-03-09 23:51:51 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x18c08966f3c3a5e35cccd9e630a960fce46265751d1278102358651a8af0e0a0Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1k5v8vk25xfezvtvc6a9kj9rnahkhuylwfm9k3ma6p0ukmh0wck6su7wl5c op_cert: \xf047f7ebafad67f0d24b2c158ca7e10b47bfe70cbc845027a1fb062faff1b07f op_cert_counter: 9