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 8497495 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 86845887 epoch_slot_no: 273087 block_no: 8497318 slot_leader_id: 4988741 size: 53305 time: 2023-03-10 01:36:18 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xfc53599cdc4c44d6e40cbdbae617da2295bc3cd952c5be9016beff90231254ccBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qnwruafflmw8zjm80dulqhgghyaecs3ewsfjmxk0f0nx62gpg35qal8s8s op_cert: \x78b9fa6cbdfae5c9761689dcbe3a4424535433138c1cf919bfdc325b854e374d op_cert_counter: 9