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 8538998 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 36 slot_no: 87697230 epoch_slot_no: 260430 block_no: 8538821 slot_leader_id: 6382157 size: 87880 time: 2023-03-19 22:05:21 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x25509c81ef7c463e0634fffd58b19f8bf9c957b0c6e69a1f24cb95f8ef93f7b2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18gadkhc6r4mdcvcrm5g7xkczs94gmhvhp4mnajpyg2mh4aruclwq5kp3lg op_cert: \xceb298e3054035dd7eb7436ac6dd20b250558caa2e9e5ebf75ee74227dacf708 op_cert_counter: 8