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 8540972 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 87738216 epoch_slot_no: 301416 block_no: 8540795 slot_leader_id: 5461687 size: 13281 time: 2023-03-20 09:28:27 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdc21c4bb4bd41531ee41fc53a7e4e7aa9197087f77e5e0edc0ebbcaeb4ce4830Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pq6pgh9hztgm3enuahyt6m5nkwn87uw9thfevpwaqwh8jgzwj4ks5su272 op_cert: \xb96ca5692d75a554719fe0d202fda1cf0f66d11ed7b6ea259c7dce0a1b234cc1 op_cert_counter: 11