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 8340041 Details
Epoch: 391 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 83593196 epoch_slot_no: 44396 block_no: 8339864 slot_leader_id: 5447590 size: 18375 time: 2023-01-31 10:04:47 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3e84fa69e3d594e216aa1c42c4cc25a94b682b2d0dfef580dfe223acd549970eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1x9j60g2k6ml8rt0h52207ysmglyju0yd7seanqc8y5xqd8kf8gpsn76e8m op_cert: \x0688a1064052074a73a3c34d89d24db8597a9a89904d26a930be5cf5c2405966 op_cert_counter: 10