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 8540658 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 87731998 epoch_slot_no: 295198 block_no: 8540481 slot_leader_id: 4983198 size: 88037 time: 2023-03-20 07:44:49 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd86c17c3378d2d0c72a1481d054e1b993649cf9b0c69e6cf4ca54916f27b9c11Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1yx6wtxhrp052yghh6g62xzejg5494gmh7nfutzfaahrwl0smr4qsahevee op_cert: \xa5fe9ac959bb7d5ce7fda6570cb5d07b158507445167782fd4550b3e78eb19ad op_cert_counter: 12