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 8500853 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 86912997 epoch_slot_no: 340197 block_no: 8500676 slot_leader_id: 6596314 size: 6625 time: 2023-03-10 20:14:48 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x00fa5cea1b26762a2cac8cb816ffb64748bda0424a354618ab350e6894098e8eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ykzznhc097stfxzqs3udw52rduy6lcvqa7mtwz83j5gf4dkskhus2753u6 op_cert: \x296423adc1d219a1c1c84e22f5de7fb748bd754b7d10cbb061c67ef458c2a5ef op_cert_counter: 5