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 8497864 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 10 slot_no: 86853019 epoch_slot_no: 280219 block_no: 8497687 slot_leader_id: 4630714 size: 24026 time: 2023-03-10 03:35:10 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x596b55e9451068df8c8d7684c0ca83cad8574d57f94b5b9c6d0a7c4faaa6780aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hj3xwnwjsrf898938uzs2kzpm7gyhcmvlxwak7gtufuxn4caezzq6e6mk6 op_cert: \x0cf4d6f1798e79c038f7aa00d53834c37ec5c049f972653daa17b694cc483cda op_cert_counter: 13