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 8498408 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 86864523 epoch_slot_no: 291723 block_no: 8498231 slot_leader_id: 8192027 size: 6430 time: 2023-03-10 06:46:54 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x55e2221d2e1475ff7b6c3e32f93906f5ac46c4963528f41708c99cfaaa90a8f3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1gkc0x46lusy70fxjn055quswtemtlerxw4etxn0hc9zjtrvzuhrqrf4njp op_cert: \x8bee05f0563a6a58bc37a589c2d1f4c991a25c2c84e397206514774426aff27a op_cert_counter: 3