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 8497748 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 86850523 epoch_slot_no: 277723 block_no: 8497571 slot_leader_id: 4569197 size: 10010 time: 2023-03-10 02:53:34 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7e351898c16805566e555dc65dc4953cf05a910f884c37809529fce07a33b7d4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fu2vy36f5je5nz9qex83agkxqcs29kfwdty63hdm0vgwdzm2hvpqea7zl7 op_cert: \xf885c53bb3f0d71c65aec9b9b186d6b60226fbffd7595578cdef3346c4a35476 op_cert_counter: 12