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 8504391 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 86984635 epoch_slot_no: 411835 block_no: 8504214 slot_leader_id: 4569197 size: 41917 time: 2023-03-11 16:08:46 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x17987915233ca1bc80ec4928775c904fb6366cd4cf9fb297cf1f54bfcfa518f6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fu2vy36f5je5nz9qex83agkxqcs29kfwdty63hdm0vgwdzm2hvpqea7zl7 op_cert: \xf885c53bb3f0d71c65aec9b9b186d6b60226fbffd7595578cdef3346c4a35476 op_cert_counter: 12