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 8497517 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 86846346 epoch_slot_no: 273546 block_no: 8497340 slot_leader_id: 5118137 size: 13185 time: 2023-03-10 01:43:57 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3cde1a2c77f57565b5c0b9a7e8cf7c12366b22318b09969bc25a2e4a43e00872Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk10u2ppz4q9r739aul8jtyk5c2v7zmtqlungf9gj6jkxkwx2c8296swd4ef3 op_cert: \xfd58e4eb73f38b999f9d69c7d76a1b88e60a90d5401ec7d0b7a4db7b241ff671 op_cert_counter: 25