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 8540714 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 87732902 epoch_slot_no: 296102 block_no: 8540537 slot_leader_id: 5377724 size: 37683 time: 2023-03-20 07:59:53 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x657ecc3d127ca8b8d19213fd8e15944a2ec6b346f4a92b463e131e0861ff6eeeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1esne3tupj5xu7c74c2m750xy80yuh5qcfwkg4w9rzvv447z97j4q3t5vaa op_cert: \x2efb12b0ea8d8b4d98716a24b6a61fea661fcbedd9835186f5a4ed8bc2457f6c op_cert_counter: 11