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 8549657 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 87917973 epoch_slot_no: 49173 block_no: 8549480 slot_leader_id: 4696941 size: 22805 time: 2023-03-22 11:24:24 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd15a747375606b439d72154b9997cdd5bec2ba1b639d6715e8b770830f9f1333Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk19h040d0e6rt9e63fljt8yq8r0edlrv96q8wc2d7edszut6z0e9wqcgrq6g op_cert: \x909ad8def10bcee0b26d12fbb8bc29961caf419d1d33d0aa869d8f14739e3f1c op_cert_counter: 19