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 8499886 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 86894044 epoch_slot_no: 321244 block_no: 8499709 slot_leader_id: 7253610 size: 8690 time: 2023-03-10 14:58:55 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x052e4078c1252d125d8a919e2fabb32e78bdb3e4847b3aeada0eb0e4bd7b5261Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18flqf7njg78xasz4u9cq4satscejmqyed8xsgnmyv64dpc3juansldw4u0 op_cert: \x9a74a7d04cd75b78e41a567ead29e16d4b6b7d49972c134d00bf0d1bcf65f1ce op_cert_counter: 8