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 8542979 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 87779284 epoch_slot_no: 342484 block_no: 8542802 slot_leader_id: 5063871 size: 12419 time: 2023-03-20 20:52:55 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcfc20343fccccb87f4d179ec04f5657cd07c290f1eb81f9d1260a89b522f49f3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mdxcjxdlm93490zkfta02ggty5ag6rdjjvqcyseft86jnh06ev3q3l2w70 op_cert: \x09440bf30814e21bdb61362f272d483ad4f521f3ec36638edcbc8c5a76ea9679 op_cert_counter: 9