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 8140678 Details
Epoch: 381 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 79493266 epoch_slot_no: 264466 block_no: 8140501 slot_leader_id: 7534301 size: 78933 time: 2022-12-14 23:12:37 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc9c0ee3e95e41c0a53c5e73c769d9f92a54229bdb25051b5e81cf1ef3dfb3177Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hc8s85ktsjqvwdk0s5zfpz25smg9xx4mw0qf4cp6udaumw9mxw4sxse940 op_cert: \x58f6f7b2fd3344b322516606dd55f743732c9a1f5fdfe341ff8158a85c68d1d9 op_cert_counter: 5