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 8542701 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 87773714 epoch_slot_no: 336914 block_no: 8542524 slot_leader_id: 6207674 size: 22860 time: 2023-03-20 19:20:05 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0b27ae6ae56221bd89aca84a86e3ca5c2eacfdda1d5170e429b7f0771ef3f13aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dt4vcfjd2vj3taznwkv4psucpr44ky4zj8q80fwt6lu0fx4aeltqx3cvgm op_cert: \xfea14a6ad6c3bb9894d2f128406d5374a78cbe2244e4880146bd14c8f4f2d67f op_cert_counter: 11