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 8539686 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 45 slot_no: 87710964 epoch_slot_no: 274164 block_no: 8539509 slot_leader_id: 4564504 size: 87966 time: 2023-03-20 01:54:15 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x170aafb4515255136c80e9f39d95fb313356c4d8fe3b8503747c3b1ec9ac0c2aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk10acggp4t528duurmsw3qf77aru7f5fprj3vn6mgryjcmlguddfdqeexgqc op_cert: \xa4f0bfbfdb7912a22a505870f77afffdf25a32337ce4e8e2e75b0375f7b4796f op_cert_counter: 13