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 8497676 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 86849342 epoch_slot_no: 276542 block_no: 8497499 slot_leader_id: 5366908 size: 68628 time: 2023-03-10 02:33:53 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0b778e106530199d1ac6044075fb6aa96dcfac3d2162739a7d61fa442b291346Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1e3ful6y80qgtdnqc0uzgc5hf88k4wj3cehgkar3856msn85hk64qs070g2 op_cert: \x4403660c3e9235a17af70976c995cf01497bcf906035b21d8329baa68625adb7 op_cert_counter: 11