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 8497859 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 28 slot_no: 86852950 epoch_slot_no: 280150 block_no: 8497682 slot_leader_id: 4556049 size: 42006 time: 2023-03-10 03:34:01 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x40d8b048c56ba6c085ae82f28c5fcbf27d2cdbee63a2f8c0512461108d7d13d0Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1md23rugrrnl66ja45503p6vdmzvwqlflc8yhva877gxtln9sekgsx2ehap op_cert: \x21f0ce6cfd8098f835aa353f5c08b0646a8bf265db6aa3e1622ecee8fdd03923 op_cert_counter: 11