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 8538949 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 87696244 epoch_slot_no: 259444 block_no: 8538772 slot_leader_id: 7376318 size: 88459 time: 2023-03-19 21:48:55 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x442dc1e9a05c488526cd1fcf93964fe4e8bf33af2b53b60075b9ac84254ad6aaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1cmequ53at5z6wfecymqfj335f03xv2ak3mh434lqdfgylg6zvsdq9zcms8 op_cert: \x464e7d8a1fbe72986b6d30e2c243a5e2d4722e1769be0d0d60686d8fef2e47c6 op_cert_counter: 1659975270