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 8497455 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 86845295 epoch_slot_no: 272495 block_no: 8497278 slot_leader_id: 5233559 size: 50076 time: 2023-03-10 01:26:26 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3f640a2d21ae70efc6a66eaf7d2716e0d7c6566d0b0afef31061048ccebf0af5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1x26vzuykasg47gq3mqjq3z2gjvd4e38usx4n6lenuseqn6nuw47ssge7w3 op_cert: \x35447fd08fefdb12b2cbc580957aa31047250c02416fd581eb2de9a926797313 op_cert_counter: 5