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 8538497 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 87686660 epoch_slot_no: 249860 block_no: 8538320 slot_leader_id: 5722967 size: 12717 time: 2023-03-19 19:09:11 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa809e7a581addf08e488e8d41bf2a9af2c61a183886730373dbef9e066e364f4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk13jt50ukdkwer5uph8wfnrwq048n0yw0pxwwmqqqwt9jmwheld9sqwp8wj2 op_cert: \x6002bcdc41cce42e804c6807bf2b8f7261b1ebba4e1cf8b452a5d2351bd89fe1 op_cert_counter: 11