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 8542461 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 55 slot_no: 87768956 epoch_slot_no: 332156 block_no: 8542284 slot_leader_id: 4559709 size: 84688 time: 2023-03-20 18:00:47 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcf1f1a18958a5b855f8ee6dd7d834d6242a5095d68eca480c99be3918b035db9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1rrf0qyyv45pu7talhcdfzk4hc0273k54504vdralnu9tyul4xspqk7d35p op_cert: \x025906657c217c6492989bb921389b4cd175f6a004b9c80154bf0d14c06864d6 op_cert_counter: 12