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 8538338 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 87683286 epoch_slot_no: 246486 block_no: 8538161 slot_leader_id: 5215989 size: 40877 time: 2023-03-19 18:12:57 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x043c320f3141bbdd9dc58704d29543d777d4091c6f7d1e734feb758fa1785f28Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1rds2yl04ee8unwce4uty8q2k2g25ehalvzwhzlvkj0q8u72swxnss69530 op_cert: \x2b0f158393b8b43a5feb7ae353d5d8991b29a771ece7a44cbced75e679a35144 op_cert_counter: 9