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 8538398 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 87684701 epoch_slot_no: 247901 block_no: 8538221 slot_leader_id: 4558711 size: 40697 time: 2023-03-19 18:36:32 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdf69e8bd552e6c743aa0f350fe2edc53b7c423b8b745f566bb525a216de6405dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1xnpprrn77xe9as4a7cv5dehdr5ju6h06w87nn4rnfr2kr2dw3jyqpcy2r6 op_cert: \x4143201ce17323537033ba2322f478c91e7feb7f7a91addb06fc62fdaaca7571 op_cert_counter: 11