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 8598489 Details
Epoch: 403 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 88923568 epoch_slot_no: 190768 block_no: 8598312 slot_leader_id: 4898788 size: 2956 time: 2023-04-03 02:44:19 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbf63457e551ae117798bf5f1fd4c13cc914d39b5574cca3c7e0a6df4209bfac3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15zvgmteq0qgwmelmhvjlwh483smhf2j06dscurg0gwp70t98fwcsc5v5k3 op_cert: \xd40cb0878129194e740eff107c1e2f038e80b8f6e09344be7fc31f4062e6bcd6 op_cert_counter: 17