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 8498860 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 86873260 epoch_slot_no: 300460 block_no: 8498683 slot_leader_id: 4556473 size: 61773 time: 2023-03-10 09:12:31 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb3ffea580f3d4f606cea1c18e2e60fb4f4ce0d5660cd8621f9e802ad7129235fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wqptsu5qtu77rtvghckm2knuykntte2egfaqa4duc328p4q6rjls569vn3 op_cert: \x1cfbcb7b1215bd8f7b2cb1cf07c74064f05d3d2ac8f6c0168e57e3cedff72f37 op_cert_counter: 14