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 8549658 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 23 slot_no: 87918007 epoch_slot_no: 49207 block_no: 8549481 slot_leader_id: 6448040 size: 24893 time: 2023-03-22 11:24:58 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2120ac43b8dc6b30ccf5ecceb8d8d4c79e484ff574b43723d1a06bfb87a766b5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1d2aatk9g8w8nzfljceaq0mk7r9th93cg5ry06zxa73sxlrsvyz0s0q0zkz op_cert: \x960d571a7b1fc020b1d76fe50036611b5a7310df3341c3f3c72192eecd1c3db7 op_cert_counter: 9