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 8503871 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 86974528 epoch_slot_no: 401728 block_no: 8503694 slot_leader_id: 5063871 size: 6524 time: 2023-03-11 13:20:19 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3614a0df6ed298cd916ac16686dc6d5ffb86bb03885b409fec8da2e753cb540aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mdxcjxdlm93490zkfta02ggty5ag6rdjjvqcyseft86jnh06ev3q3l2w70 op_cert: \x09440bf30814e21bdb61362f272d483ad4f521f3ec36638edcbc8c5a76ea9679 op_cert_counter: 9