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 8540698 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 87732603 epoch_slot_no: 295803 block_no: 8540521 slot_leader_id: 4559083 size: 50223 time: 2023-03-20 07:54:54 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1ae9ce2a57580b2f51a3a18d3b0a729a616cb7f6e40b919832fb860774ff84c6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1kkm2ddusu6fx76ag2cj44te7k5vjejqvq0hwcarfe5lkgdzt47ms4h9tp2 op_cert: \x4455c0db1477b8e841825aaeb2ceabd9c05d441667fccdc065f9e91542d0bf73 op_cert_counter: 13