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 8304340 Details
Epoch: 389 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 82857430 epoch_slot_no: 172630 block_no: 8304163 slot_leader_id: 5150339 size: 7027 time: 2023-01-22 21:42:01 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf493040a89356100c451e6eaa2e5ca771861f862ec98e9d24c31206881339841Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12u53fs72qflkaellznc7f3grwxzejy5vlkl0jwnesfsnrce97cuq7gl5e6 op_cert: \xaca66e6e54757fb1617074b62f3f4a80ce32aabcf83b1fab44bc2f9d356aa196 op_cert_counter: 8