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 8499561 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 86888122 epoch_slot_no: 315322 block_no: 8499384 slot_leader_id: 5622368 size: 45351 time: 2023-03-10 13:20:13 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf6be122920608109ee65132394bc7a8470520a661c8fdc80eca0aff7319db3d3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17qzz805y9v4vvpg7z40zvrdv6lke33xj30svzpcr2247xj8c4n4sqe7sm3 op_cert: \x9e80646cc5ed4d8332f075f38eda0e5eea385746d99eb1f2f011b9cfc3d04aa8 op_cert_counter: 8