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 8549635 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 87917590 epoch_slot_no: 48790 block_no: 8549458 slot_leader_id: 8526358 size: 16396 time: 2023-03-22 11:18:01 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9c73fb851382a6d0f8dc4d650aeb865b62743c0ffc43e8eb8acf5b0a191b4e3eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1z6wj4vdtuumn0u7g5mnmjwv3p576mqvc0nafwjakkgpza6vdmx2s4ehuu5 op_cert: \xbef2406b6ae7b77febbfa293238dce4e8e5441cc534c5f2fe190a7d674deee10 op_cert_counter: 0