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 8497178 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 86839677 epoch_slot_no: 266877 block_no: 8497001 slot_leader_id: 7046819 size: 45405 time: 2023-03-09 23:52:48 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x254b68e2de4e2e5adc458bcdd302164467e470a6d08a4c4ad1ba7168b97c3ba1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1upgnsznmxmjz9sn60epskd636xc8dnuuahqenhuchw0p4rlvnzusdg6yfc op_cert: \xe5ac75f358911fc7d819c9e6a93aa8e93bbcd2beecf75b04b0dc23f0b91024c5 op_cert_counter: 1659973373