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 8542046 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 87760185 epoch_slot_no: 323385 block_no: 8541869 slot_leader_id: 5279499 size: 21785 time: 2023-03-20 15:34:36 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb69221ef6eccc06dc9af069291c575a3fc803450ef660a3f72e83e6a7c42dfa8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk19afdfw47djw9usk607zq4mq6v3xzh8xznxehjsl06069fd09dydq8lp6wg op_cert: \x807bf8f3cf9e9e4519f4816aca4a16199bc7f8d1648d1f710bf729ad6ebaa156 op_cert_counter: 9