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 8542493 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 87769471 epoch_slot_no: 332671 block_no: 8542316 slot_leader_id: 5257656 size: 29583 time: 2023-03-20 18:09:22 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc48ffb7ea121b9c94b4255848310e89edc174330b26b86164c69a18a17cf4435Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1atmp68skeehvhvlv9vrrc7uzqp73l3dmgp2qy9lwhdlm03qv9k2qgahx9e op_cert: \x91f85133e583649429448e5807dafe6350a5d83659283638f1626e5d697fbe17 op_cert_counter: 9