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 8502508 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 28 slot_no: 86946876 epoch_slot_no: 374076 block_no: 8502331 slot_leader_id: 6618191 size: 69488 time: 2023-03-11 05:39:27 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf2368d1f3cfb6f4b9b017174e7adc6764cc4f79f6be6c8f1fce6a3854adac7a5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1kkmpqpgn4m92dqeusyvdvydl6wy8mthe59svsdctntq44kpuyglsfnu4wh op_cert: \x3344cedb23f6af28700364744558e302b637344c2559424e90c662b8a695f140 op_cert_counter: 7