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 8499517 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 86887233 epoch_slot_no: 314433 block_no: 8499340 slot_leader_id: 6753941 size: 22804 time: 2023-03-10 13:05:24 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x18b995ef0ab16e547c08f460cb0d9c57eeec687fb725c11c2dd69db0a1abe2a2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ln9sqsqw9kgqc80882r595xvu4mnlluqv50l6rpg8q5lfp3all9s9c36jq op_cert: \xaeb0208f46c51b6c8c8af80ced4d95254a4ed92e179add430cb68d903e065920 op_cert_counter: 6