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 8497581 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 44 slot_no: 86847574 epoch_slot_no: 274774 block_no: 8497404 slot_leader_id: 7089051 size: 83282 time: 2023-03-10 02:04:25 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x6d6af6e06ba71983063f0564dba1436bb6efe4b9906f7b553b5defd9dcd25ab7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zquchk9jzkz58u2a97kpg0pxaslfm72n0mr90uuh2par393da8hs5775xh op_cert: \x2794c78692ebb7a65d2253b36801fb3c5cc8eca2efc64033ee1b33518c432aca op_cert_counter: 1659973806