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 8542713 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 34 slot_no: 87774115 epoch_slot_no: 337315 block_no: 8542536 slot_leader_id: 5266164 size: 88202 time: 2023-03-20 19:26:46 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcdc795fac74368b8ec5b1121bd2c5e44fb04de1fa5a708d0b0522f0f2eaddfe1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qhaeh7mjhpt9flqh60d26uvn6gce76z5kunvdcdk6evxxpmuesrqchcvz5 op_cert: \x57f74a6c46d516a97d276fc6080978281ce4b7d3d5679b98d355f35acdf43ccc op_cert_counter: 137