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 8539674 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 87710676 epoch_slot_no: 273876 block_no: 8539497 slot_leader_id: 7886440 size: 37608 time: 2023-03-20 01:49:27 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x491b5d8e6a6cf9a407cdadc9f6e2d69b7a9fdb69b88e616925f496a937df35f2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1w6322drzzplxd02kuyvwvlgx4zjv4zd5pwxg99vm24sllg4hv74qxc0zk5 op_cert: \xdc33aed407305ec50f623d5fc2fb8a45dbf5b30581a70d2733163c6fb07a4925 op_cert_counter: 2