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 8504638 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 86989381 epoch_slot_no: 416581 block_no: 8504461 slot_leader_id: 7046714 size: 80013 time: 2023-03-11 17:27:52 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x6d3218b4b5aa2e2fd4bcdef87c64fc0aa88eb4431b97afaff8831e18ed65795fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pp8s76kxdlhl907rurnja2cyq4u62t6cx2u57eg70a7uy8p6uq9qurplqq op_cert: \x440c2344fae5cd403b5ff5c50231a7539902251a5f649301b927f60f20b9a030 op_cert_counter: 1659973255