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 8503668 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 31 slot_no: 86970466 epoch_slot_no: 397666 block_no: 8503491 slot_leader_id: 7006117 size: 54912 time: 2023-03-11 12:12:37 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf145e7cc7ce5a05b76aa7afaad1e5f762883350f87e35898839a22a5ec0e1505Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1e2f93ewu5sgalwzhrjt6j8yzhwexpw7hugcdv9a9jt5haj79r85qvvhdj4 op_cert: \xafdbd6cabe4ab50a7a00a6cbf7cec763efae1a9768ab225aa8ad24bd5167e7bd op_cert_counter: 4