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 8504993 Details
Epoch: 398 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 86997109 epoch_slot_no: 424309 block_no: 8504816 slot_leader_id: 7047164 size: 14212 time: 2023-03-11 19:36:40 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd2a33d8444caaa9986fb4711700bf48332ff3ac3575152f41aaf3309990a5308Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1u6qem3tc44lmpc6pqj0yp3ujtzje864cp39enr4p90kur0ql2zjqf6wgqc op_cert: \xa54571b6048475cebeccdbcafe6f670113d924dbb122a5882b26578330896fe0 op_cert_counter: 1659973533