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 8540311 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 87724109 epoch_slot_no: 287309 block_no: 8540134 slot_leader_id: 7376318 size: 30958 time: 2023-03-20 05:33:20 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa492a6a9842f796f3227b14feba30fd011b7ac59d3a7eda97a3ce6aae70b60d2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1cmequ53at5z6wfecymqfj335f03xv2ak3mh434lqdfgylg6zvsdq9zcms8 op_cert: \x464e7d8a1fbe72986b6d30e2c243a5e2d4722e1769be0d0d60686d8fef2e47c6 op_cert_counter: 1659975270