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 8538419 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 50 slot_no: 87685170 epoch_slot_no: 248370 block_no: 8538242 slot_leader_id: 6971042 size: 71142 time: 2023-03-19 18:44:21 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xee5492bfb31cf3946667d98f5d48eb4f39ff97c2b9ba27594c4cffce58350b4bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1z00u8yaku2v35j2t6sta2mwv0pkv56dkv7lkaqhhwrmxw30x8wfqcrz0e9 op_cert: \xa5137abc104abeb0b405268b69b666490f743bc7c8ff401be29832814f508938 op_cert_counter: 6