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 8501897 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 86934847 epoch_slot_no: 362047 block_no: 8501720 slot_leader_id: 4573058 size: 13483 time: 2023-03-11 02:18:58 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x801ce1559f66e5e1e1043a026306f07a7570e708045aee2b2d823b24609cbfa9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1f6xhq4vk480uh3mexmd2gxvsw7k9qpts34xjntg40wnjr3lywj6qezqz73 op_cert: \xf35e332d469412336c3a0ac1d4cbc50e1b40e472904f0093e91e0bbc897bcd10 op_cert_counter: 11