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 8497657 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 86849005 epoch_slot_no: 276205 block_no: 8497480 slot_leader_id: 5873516 size: 3146 time: 2023-03-10 02:28:16 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x401560e0c3bc4871aad0e6af445de650f82cc3fd9302cd6c67a1debbe0725a32Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17nk9vcmu2aqr6d6frzgg7umnd9eldemm6fye8warl47cnw7fkx5sjvxfmh op_cert: \x5e758c19534db36bcc694b24935abf7c8e7647c0ed3697041c5058909e1769fa op_cert_counter: 13