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 8501393 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 86923981 epoch_slot_no: 351181 block_no: 8501216 slot_leader_id: 8035709 size: 36248 time: 2023-03-10 23:17:52 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4a9acbf04258b7fd53c6dcb77ef866d0b663c9c4090efdfc7ce26e108df89ef6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk10w62amfuuxlaq064kpwwwmjew8mw602xhcsg3607wutr0ka68frq64mxn3 op_cert: \x9b80dffb81168928c55ddf56f61e6c7752e3860360aa87d484b086f95db32289 op_cert_counter: 1