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 8498348 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 86863164 epoch_slot_no: 290364 block_no: 8498171 slot_leader_id: 5152559 size: 12501 time: 2023-03-10 06:24:15 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x53e7e7bdffd0298d3d0db523cc2cd9ce4edc1b0841e0affe4ebc34cd1d346aaeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18jd04rha883u062sv099xjvawvdqectd4ekwqjf9gkplwnfj0cnsy8hnyr op_cert: \xca993d2d68e9337e4be7717c0fa63385f5606a89e4d133961dd3da66cae72be9 op_cert_counter: 12