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 8498564 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 86867604 epoch_slot_no: 294804 block_no: 8498387 slot_leader_id: 7399631 size: 19007 time: 2023-03-10 07:38:15 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4f3e6a69c9fe738fdd7687fa84893155078294e689a98cad252369179f34bc3dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1eccgrlghe3v3dmdfsydvw05wrfz8cx0s6na2hkm8fka6uhmqkzes5q60k3 op_cert: \xcdaba2b5e1ec3dbbb39a3d7e238a6a5afe73cdf6ae475d18802c7c2abf873efe op_cert_counter: 1659975259