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 8497515 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 86846297 epoch_slot_no: 273497 block_no: 8497338 slot_leader_id: 4733300 size: 15027 time: 2023-03-10 01:43:08 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x10f041808a2ef82b504f78a0672bc663443dc177dffad7d5cd5f7e97c9fbfdddBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1u8fpzrhfmyayq9vk3jsp32mklcszs9q8lhuaxlgspr8t4wqdkfys76vdcq op_cert: \xcfe623980ca09a5983570159389ee46a7209f20e92d71233a1f3b744d1c1d382 op_cert_counter: 6