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 8542445 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 45 slot_no: 87768557 epoch_slot_no: 331757 block_no: 8542268 slot_leader_id: 4962621 size: 78457 time: 2023-03-20 17:54:08 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x49824afbd89358411c20b774e65e63a8541ea916e459e326cad73e9ff3d82ffdBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qs40s2r4qhygpq8va07ntwrpptd7ak6vnpskmqqctdz5d5z9y6ysv6ext5 op_cert: \xfcf1ac52e29a36b45fc2bc9d13faa1b1ef130a7e02826fc094ca265f91c7d40d op_cert_counter: 8