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 8499389 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 86884367 epoch_slot_no: 311567 block_no: 8499212 slot_leader_id: 5159587 size: 2990 time: 2023-03-10 12:17:38 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xec40576d54fba817ca2373324566be105cd492dd0d2a9915eb47bfb2f48f9f70Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dghjrkap5utjf6zcx99vux2uauvveypref40097nl5cw8j7tftyscjsuaw op_cert: \xade5c5a3a0cd3e9f7e7397bde3cbe19f5e5c36cc26ed4f135ef746f53f914951 op_cert_counter: 9