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 8538555 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 87687846 epoch_slot_no: 251046 block_no: 8538378 slot_leader_id: 4869078 size: 37484 time: 2023-03-19 19:28:57 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc50266261a35ff65a6e67a923249fd4fe66f16167fc85286d28d96b6fe1aba12Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wtrryjjkch77gg8lpueyy3lqltdehrt3d56kgvtvtsculnexcvks44hjm9 op_cert: \x74c66dbf7fe60951f625e258d4ce58459a268b4897008681e5e95bf8212fc62d op_cert_counter: 13