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 8542998 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 87779748 epoch_slot_no: 342948 block_no: 8542821 slot_leader_id: 5048909 size: 14138 time: 2023-03-20 21:00:39 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xeec3e6a4b4787250c22d32bca2d2e2e5baed66bc3c62ee7b9bb6365fc49a70c0Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hurwaadlhm7jaaerv8z3pj6d30x4w0pasrvh83nz2rflja8w5ftqnuycng op_cert: \xe7a1ab0c82463189bc92bb8c23fe11d9a4896c1272c738250a4c3cbec682d498 op_cert_counter: 9