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 8540421 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 87726807 epoch_slot_no: 290007 block_no: 8540244 slot_leader_id: 5688270 size: 45631 time: 2023-03-20 06:18:18 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xce68bc29ebeb2a037cea4b3f93e53cd5cc1dc2c17aded71d4c3a98ea831fbc2cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pa05qgfgms22qvy860ggarcrwccnxv274gc7v0c2r5gvmwv6tzqqnnecz4 op_cert: \x4febf47db72d1a612a846357d1c9c5bc681d7a9bdb6f08b1448ce69bdedfc75a op_cert_counter: 10