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 8499031 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 86876581 epoch_slot_no: 303781 block_no: 8498854 slot_leader_id: 4626196 size: 66671 time: 2023-03-10 10:07:52 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa8c30324679d05e0900fb7b09c86e46bd417d440b92ef0e31872040f19268470Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pdppl3vx2wxj752ywjy6c963707waeqdn3pux4jywcx7dzeev8wsg0c7kl op_cert: \x42687348593e1c7920a84f7bf4a32f526174b9ad89e2f7189eb9bf64e491a9f0 op_cert_counter: 17