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 8542558 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 87770646 epoch_slot_no: 333846 block_no: 8542381 slot_leader_id: 5516217 size: 18560 time: 2023-03-20 18:28:57 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcbbcffe9e629ab159d3cb23efb06175d099881c1ea1e7a2c6e1b68361cc658e8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1uepzy49n77g33avhwv9xwzyavcuysuzpq6du0vfcwm4r9g2p3t0qv8kem5 op_cert: \xa9145f3cefb59c0d2bfa7b8bfcfcc077a45f6554295e8036fef5418eb02712dc op_cert_counter: 11