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 8538440 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 87685496 epoch_slot_no: 248696 block_no: 8538263 slot_leader_id: 4703309 size: 6006 time: 2023-03-19 18:49:47 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa2c1af434bec25d8fd02921eb66e113e476f13a2ff718e00b569f24d206b1310Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1a5mrg02vaynyt8zl3ccet2wzj03j285n5jmz86d00gw29yvf4upsyuhl53 op_cert: \xa3fab187957ce8956d73b56c9b3ea5c95d38aef40bece67cbd853e2057cdf810 op_cert_counter: 12