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 8516649 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 48 slot_no: 87238727 epoch_slot_no: 233927 block_no: 8516472 slot_leader_id: 5495880 size: 40188 time: 2023-03-14 14:43:38 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x57e6f562db07a7d7d047aa177cd0084bba235c12a5504f853063027aeb4a3fe3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hzlkmk042kzd0zrdkthh2h3fmepesecz5cxq4k352fusuz4lhvzsxu87s3 op_cert: \xbcb5599c9f52a41a7be95d1eb398563a56ed354ec45cbdab7353d3162bf38cff op_cert_counter: 14