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 8540673 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 87732188 epoch_slot_no: 295388 block_no: 8540496 slot_leader_id: 4989634 size: 22820 time: 2023-03-20 07:47:59 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0c43568cda0f83e6ca8b17985635b376f693e0462be1901854137dba41edb325Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17xppz4t8889f4eqt0cazyrexrfan7za4t5pfeu4hx89xaadvj0jqej033d op_cert: \x394c820f707c955d0dbaf1805009f7d5c268b07f8b304225410e21e05c009df9 op_cert_counter: 12