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 8500971 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 58 slot_no: 86915043 epoch_slot_no: 342243 block_no: 8500794 slot_leader_id: 4981426 size: 80164 time: 2023-03-10 20:48:54 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5149943e2231bbe3f4f9c936dcb4253b42699d0ae8b5c6b3c5925a3d6df5e856Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1clpl885tz6tf5vnua0ad4kzzw5q85d3x4rz4v73fxwhj3t03zmyqtjzllc op_cert: \xa613283a3dde6efad6e505c20d4de0034dde21de95fa6296e2fed3048eafb1d2 op_cert_counter: 9