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 8539949 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 87716808 epoch_slot_no: 280008 block_no: 8539772 slot_leader_id: 5279994 size: 42283 time: 2023-03-20 03:31:39 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x685ee7a9659e285c86ba0c52a3752135f102535f5fcfef5d163e61b5c174b1d3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mhpemjndf7zsenlnglnvfapmevlfzvuxzqkk0cjs7wlyrf5kddkq64vz94 op_cert: \x6e96d3ed357e275c4881d49b2b4ed8c30662d8a44d406c2fc536c027b99a2403 op_cert_counter: 9