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 8538436 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 10 slot_no: 87685429 epoch_slot_no: 248629 block_no: 8538259 slot_leader_id: 5833644 size: 8445 time: 2023-03-19 18:48:40 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9e1d3dbe852d1f2d149ba487271e0f6e590f7155d3b54290f5d4cf27fdaa8334Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16c529f5rx9ym8l4hcfu2ym707a79l9sulsy64naerf3uz6dvha5sqc9fgt op_cert: \xcc4767f5f40a7ac65a59c40a8da4dded81c338223ed5b147c68299a3fa5d40a0 op_cert_counter: 5