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 8502859 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 86954273 epoch_slot_no: 381473 block_no: 8502682 slot_leader_id: 8157918 size: 25537 time: 2023-03-11 07:42:44 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcdda0d7360a1f0bfc8bf90dc04752adc0ccadbcbcebea0f038b7df0fb39269d8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1kqeqcyhxkk6y9e3wsk95hfdnsw2pgj05rt06sr6emnh3w2dm9uns8ll28m op_cert: \xb2fa010c433fd78e4139c265c31b39620528b6306d9f3b220a65934b7c69b7de op_cert_counter: 1