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 8497514 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 31 slot_no: 86846268 epoch_slot_no: 273468 block_no: 8497337 slot_leader_id: 5279822 size: 51593 time: 2023-03-10 01:42:39 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbf72919e7abfb176fc628b67c193cdeaba931455569b107f1a7fb56ddf512f19Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nh048mgzx0fr6j3zf6cyqk3aqs6ymz6e3pfntn6p8gw2k4ykrzvswxqkcx op_cert: \xa6e4f0cd487bf21680eb45ff358dc2b0a3722024e6cbd4ff4febad76f2b9c637 op_cert_counter: 9