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 8503676 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 86970723 epoch_slot_no: 397923 block_no: 8503499 slot_leader_id: 7046618 size: 62739 time: 2023-03-11 12:16:54 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x07ed36dba0e5658bc052f3ad22d4bcf4ee19996120f28517efc1d03a0344981dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1yx0wlq38wts5edet68apfdh8jxmjwkekmt40rtexfp2melwlq3wqhqemz0 op_cert: \xfffefe6e40eadef95b7090db7c29d71feea4dc6d3b1598002129f80ecca390ad op_cert_counter: 1659819327