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 8497516 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 86846329 epoch_slot_no: 273529 block_no: 8497339 slot_leader_id: 5482646 size: 36798 time: 2023-03-10 01:43:40 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xaf98ed910bd0cd45087cd74aac2b57c4e7327d44a2576b5f194a4abad1e5f59aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1n7098460nvs79vz0ve0p2y3q9pqgtphwvv2qcza7m7a6wj5eqdaq202f59 op_cert: \x564ad01b5f51f0ea3e8388a119f7f604ae51b0ae20696054bdd5a6fef4154fe8 op_cert_counter: 9