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 8497706 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 86849907 epoch_slot_no: 277107 block_no: 8497529 slot_leader_id: 5873516 size: 12453 time: 2023-03-10 02:43:18 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xfc11f5657f874bce9c18c62e0f0fb9c10c467d6c518dc6b8a001dcddd1532f60Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17nk9vcmu2aqr6d6frzgg7umnd9eldemm6fye8warl47cnw7fkx5sjvxfmh op_cert: \x5e758c19534db36bcc694b24935abf7c8e7647c0ed3697041c5058909e1769fa op_cert_counter: 13