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 8538863 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 87694449 epoch_slot_no: 257649 block_no: 8538686 slot_leader_id: 5065959 size: 6643 time: 2023-03-19 21:19:00 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdc31b5459baa8f5dc868c260dc28066cf4602fa9377a0044df09dea307e3cde5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1d9qrmed96sxkttr88uhg8u9dxa79rwhrppy75ea588r9c6t29q7q2zyu74 op_cert: \xee322ea62d550ca099931096dd07c78671d68ca9561e6e463aadddc7938195a0 op_cert_counter: 20