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 8540728 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 87733179 epoch_slot_no: 296379 block_no: 8540551 slot_leader_id: 4768924 size: 16840 time: 2023-03-20 08:04:30 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x497822d38ea056cfadc8e2f840a619cbeeb4a3f3e2e84a2aa2b4b5301d70eb24Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qn8s87qr08428hgpclq333a8hk8mpp3gtcfj7nte3ujpdz7psduqdxm48w op_cert: \x909af7be2d4afad079feac5401c5f44e164d462a1fc223655165b93b7ffb5de5 op_cert_counter: 16