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 8548542 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 87893720 epoch_slot_no: 24920 block_no: 8548365 slot_leader_id: 4557910 size: 2384 time: 2023-03-22 04:40:11 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xca2eaefee15ca5889faa9ce492c8e2b804f8d7ac3f1a045c31570d81df35aacaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vclfxu5y6wekn5fhd7jy2vzvjedflq6c24uxctwn33dx7l3jcd5qffsueu op_cert: \x598099981ead5a4ce9304fccff18eb1f56345d1c6f842c798c80e49035456929 op_cert_counter: 13