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 8500514 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 30 slot_no: 86906322 epoch_slot_no: 333522 block_no: 8500337 slot_leader_id: 4555884 size: 80558 time: 2023-03-10 18:23:33 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x68e42cf64e6a3b0a4a3c48b1057175fec7f5c13890d108bb0ea5166e3831314bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1t675th7lfmnks2w3jhkzgaceqnhrj3ec0ulx2qzaav4he64nj0qqncsczk op_cert: \x41c82465b1c807dd108300ba21dd893a5f673cc6eb857b708d0ed80a983688b8 op_cert_counter: 17