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 8549675 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 87918224 epoch_slot_no: 49424 block_no: 8549498 slot_leader_id: 7903459 size: 20857 time: 2023-03-22 11:28:35 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x61fdd5f0965904555f513c4fe882a84dc72d0a585a26ba1bea60cdbbcbbb1aefBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1z7jkgvsrrxj34y6w87qgqnuy5r2yennekn5pqzza0k7g2ux6mj3s3c5th5 op_cert: \x46eed2e5026549dad48b9807d0a4ae87ec1edde43fce63c25e4d37e9f20a929a op_cert_counter: 2