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 8497697 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 86849718 epoch_slot_no: 276918 block_no: 8497520 slot_leader_id: 4557910 size: 905 time: 2023-03-10 02:40:09 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc895917965e2e1a0138a57866f04407db48d66a24178b6aeb3caaa88e3891a9eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vclfxu5y6wekn5fhd7jy2vzvjedflq6c24uxctwn33dx7l3jcd5qffsueu op_cert: \x598099981ead5a4ce9304fccff18eb1f56345d1c6f842c798c80e49035456929 op_cert_counter: 13