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 8497816 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 86851773 epoch_slot_no: 278973 block_no: 8497639 slot_leader_id: 4583545 size: 3511 time: 2023-03-10 03:14:24 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x27c61dc14f4ab5520d0970a32b9fb0980eba8ea6eed55955291ff7764d32a1b4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dyyj58hvs2xezcxks33esndcuy7x5t9elhudtwdrtyq0nu86aylsqmuu9w op_cert: \x729189deb5ca90077dd4d94b12b8d048085c85d9ea2ed6cc24e923a2b0f107b7 op_cert_counter: 1