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 8501696 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 86930316 epoch_slot_no: 357516 block_no: 8501519 slot_leader_id: 4560270 size: 73102 time: 2023-03-11 01:03:27 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8124c559786780157a9f26132e5f4fadf713fa6ca49700665c01caf9b7d00a61Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1eygszpd9hamesusngyd3sycdnwq9f30vu34jhcm9kvvjl7zgx4cqne3ldf op_cert: \xa011db077ca19d0ac0569384b467c07d8b968a5c516666fbaaf95cb54ab1c30b op_cert_counter: 11