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 8522498 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 87357949 epoch_slot_no: 353149 block_no: 8522321 slot_leader_id: 4569197 size: 40945 time: 2023-03-15 23:50:40 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7c80e22d0bea82f9b7bbb6c4a40a386c4dda75a9cd7e4cc95f4b0fb3d329d503Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fu2vy36f5je5nz9qex83agkxqcs29kfwdty63hdm0vgwdzm2hvpqea7zl7 op_cert: \xf885c53bb3f0d71c65aec9b9b186d6b60226fbffd7595578cdef3346c4a35476 op_cert_counter: 12