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 8502363 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 86944151 epoch_slot_no: 371351 block_no: 8502186 slot_leader_id: 7191909 size: 37921 time: 2023-03-11 04:54:02 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd46906495a95c379bb0931b2b19dd86625a94853d8728d9b1d92f92dd39c4c5eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ztss4qru5ewlmupnqpj0xafw73gy6j5tfkfs46de50rhccjwpj3sqsduk9 op_cert: \xf6746cbba18977e54b5a6f5f5ae383bc6b666777f6f489645618a69903a69761 op_cert_counter: 17