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 8499702 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 86890688 epoch_slot_no: 317888 block_no: 8499525 slot_leader_id: 5233559 size: 29786 time: 2023-03-10 14:02:59 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7da56d6a44a46c5ece55ed7ab9656c482249b0fbaeaed9b23b6be6a0a1a884ccBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1x26vzuykasg47gq3mqjq3z2gjvd4e38usx4n6lenuseqn6nuw47ssge7w3 op_cert: \x35447fd08fefdb12b2cbc580957aa31047250c02416fd581eb2de9a926797313 op_cert_counter: 5