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 8499081 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 86877495 epoch_slot_no: 304695 block_no: 8498904 slot_leader_id: 4746643 size: 14901 time: 2023-03-10 10:23:06 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd3b2c19d60518141a3a8f587336fea2e724d55d52bd901882e95daf3afce0506Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mk6j3jjpufepqyy0x5yj0d8x972s6608z7g477pm6lrysc4dedqst3fqd0 op_cert: \x37af6f73e09f6d4403b5f9bb5dad01782fb44e9fe80d26f36d7bac191d27854e op_cert_counter: 9