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 8540822 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 87735226 epoch_slot_no: 298426 block_no: 8540645 slot_leader_id: 4555884 size: 7340 time: 2023-03-20 08:38:37 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x04e95e223752c668cfbd20253df8d6f1ca98cde20c4fadb348b93216ee2d8ecbBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1t675th7lfmnks2w3jhkzgaceqnhrj3ec0ulx2qzaav4he64nj0qqncsczk op_cert: \x41c82465b1c807dd108300ba21dd893a5f673cc6eb857b708d0ed80a983688b8 op_cert_counter: 17