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 8497771 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 86850943 epoch_slot_no: 278143 block_no: 8497594 slot_leader_id: 4696941 size: 11649 time: 2023-03-10 03:00:34 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1059aeb2ab4f676adbcfe3af9b740cbe0c2b80d137cd3a161570e16b6987cd9bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk19h040d0e6rt9e63fljt8yq8r0edlrv96q8wc2d7edszut6z0e9wqcgrq6g op_cert: \x909ad8def10bcee0b26d12fbb8bc29961caf419d1d33d0aa869d8f14739e3f1c op_cert_counter: 19