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 8340197 Details
Epoch: 391 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 83596514 epoch_slot_no: 47714 block_no: 8340020 slot_leader_id: 5023593 size: 9853 time: 2023-01-31 11:00:05 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdca74bea2b580545a612688b5c6eae538d3c6ebe758c0c14cdedf7006f5ea7bfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lr4hgxp9rstc9ndaq0p0zcyfkfk3j73rg5qdryza79fp5ut3jyssn225y6 op_cert: \x764e4da9278390bea179ddc9dcfb6053748c84ea100a325258b96a6053df2227 op_cert_counter: 8