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 8540778 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 87734359 epoch_slot_no: 297559 block_no: 8540601 slot_leader_id: 7046945 size: 12942 time: 2023-03-20 08:24:10 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x557c3a2594c18bb8e01c3315dcd7ce3f3f40c3c666551320dbe0579a6e86754fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1cq75080yk52l0f7a0ywpjpcx77flk57gw9whj8fjdzzk5yqjgk7s9xjpcj op_cert: \x03bcf687a333150b1b6e1ba9e8b6942af6f2aef69b638b322cd66bf99f0a079c op_cert_counter: 1659973476