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 8539684 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 87710838 epoch_slot_no: 274038 block_no: 8539507 slot_leader_id: 4736553 size: 39925 time: 2023-03-20 01:52:09 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4cdaf551b3c234fa0e43b7d34408f0312bfda8ca5ac5a1119e2652d2430d91aeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vzzngklkz56jwr4vgl9vxny3gkjkkevcns2cwqhhff35k26klm5qez5c3q op_cert: \x0c710df5cf736a8ea313ea9b6c004281baebda34919f4ce47efce9d720076c26 op_cert_counter: 19