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 8540186 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 87721376 epoch_slot_no: 284576 block_no: 8540009 slot_leader_id: 6596314 size: 44331 time: 2023-03-20 04:47:47 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x18538a6845728890c02e65056df5789e01b8a2b02c0474ce742f3ebea28ade3bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ykzznhc097stfxzqs3udw52rduy6lcvqa7mtwz83j5gf4dkskhus2753u6 op_cert: \x296423adc1d219a1c1c84e22f5de7fb748bd754b7d10cbb061c67ef458c2a5ef op_cert_counter: 5