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 8542517 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 26 slot_no: 87769949 epoch_slot_no: 333149 block_no: 8542340 slot_leader_id: 8103509 size: 39455 time: 2023-03-20 18:17:20 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8dc9718b08a89e3712560e4d688141a7e5e468e8ffe2bfa669477adc265dba21Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1jpedtgaqqhfquu3lc4m2n5w4kcluw9jprpftrncnnqyzn2jmj2sssvz6ak op_cert: \x8d8ed2b670b4966ea359e130ee9a89e2e7fcccafd0bc089a8283299bc7b6df79 op_cert_counter: 1