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 8538416 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 87685049 epoch_slot_no: 248249 block_no: 8538239 slot_leader_id: 4557996 size: 74787 time: 2023-03-19 18:42:20 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb2ab5191371177e01f6a838d9250429da5a8b08de2c2b5e306ce6b0713de1e5eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wvlqe2qje36uz5mhk5hnzq4qwuhqs9y7dvawtueezakddmp8fl9qhadshx op_cert: \x4a8b74b9e7d2ffb2d97d51f5ea15342aa4c5d89df08e2640601d8ed5ee32adbd op_cert_counter: 14