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 8540882 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 87736477 epoch_slot_no: 299677 block_no: 8540705 slot_leader_id: 4669641 size: 17293 time: 2023-03-20 08:59:28 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x11a72fb3511d9fb38b7d2899eac9b9667296f128b2ef8cca97be7d90e68ba4ceBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1czlvqsyd4sh50qn29szl9z64420nxyy9l4sfclrgegjf8h4kxqesk2nxv5 op_cert: \x5c829fec86feb24d006ec9aa7775ef6326f55ee15f1ae7811b443e38440e2383 op_cert_counter: 10