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 8504617 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 86989065 epoch_slot_no: 416265 block_no: 8504440 slot_leader_id: 4691946 size: 20013 time: 2023-03-11 17:22:36 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x82bd160a8d4670209e5fcd05bb3c82401701884509719307121e6b56426968cbBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk19yzsxj0wpvns57zq6zw626z27amrnfqmy5j5h7ywj9u693qjzs8s4a24t2 op_cert: \x16ef994cafe6dbc2fa7f497c7e1e139ae93109b9e2e9c2b15de105e9fee322a5 op_cert_counter: 25