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 8497896 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 86853744 epoch_slot_no: 280944 block_no: 8497719 slot_leader_id: 5138431 size: 46985 time: 2023-03-10 03:47:15 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x217d9ca16e938a2df13d7dc3edc55ed0d513c6b9f0621f5b17caa55792cc9b79Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1patf7kk82ayquaj7utt76tftatexx93a6mg9r0d543ve6nt0pl8qy64pwe op_cert: \xf0ccde2dc678869e6a4167ec9425debe5a07c31382ece94811c99a54ff294a08 op_cert_counter: 9