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 8542421 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 33 slot_no: 87767866 epoch_slot_no: 331066 block_no: 8542244 slot_leader_id: 4576802 size: 85802 time: 2023-03-20 17:42:37 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8ae09599a3f4b6929e081645494371824ed665d7efaf9d46e835a6d31c660ea0Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1w8xts7fy2y9nrva4hdn302wq9rmq06ptp82s3m5tqs3qfsj8cl6qy0dyjj op_cert: \xbcc7ed7eac0955bc4a651927f5f7f6fdff4e67e3fa8679198fe8b9228a5c9440 op_cert_counter: 14