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 8540040 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 87718589 epoch_slot_no: 281789 block_no: 8539863 slot_leader_id: 5355092 size: 38095 time: 2023-03-20 04:01:20 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3b022e6507c9cffcddd6bd7f03749d78127fa9fa3036d445804eaebf87f6710bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ankshstfu8yml8xrsrmsf4qzvtrfwmnles5zqnerwzlnxzwt602sl5qvms op_cert: \x4651350d84758e2a7be7e7248a7967d0b909715135d9beb6b409895ce96ac662 op_cert_counter: 11