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 8540346 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 87724847 epoch_slot_no: 288047 block_no: 8540169 slot_leader_id: 5152260 size: 37373 time: 2023-03-20 05:45:38 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x43adb95065b6b2fe78981d765eac208010a1e1e28335dbaa809ea09eed4913a3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1360snatudsnaz8lq0cxtsztdgxfp67mypth6tgfvu23y4yj3u96qvq0gv6 op_cert: \xa6f630c0d09a934784adeca3c941a5b5486f74733b753c808570a5b1e79a8b4c op_cert_counter: 13