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 8340603 Details
Epoch: 391 Number of transactions in block: 43 slot_no: 83605027 epoch_slot_no: 56227 block_no: 8340426 slot_leader_id: 4555592 size: 52034 time: 2023-01-31 13:21:58 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcd70165a770df1050806fe2082ddb53463e79a5151d3640dd2e65aa9fb30bdb8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1h0ervlcy4sz6ypa32wly3x995nmeh3j3ngfl739ezjx40s9mvurqptqy7u op_cert: \xac436850847fb81c89cb4e3c7ab6f75575daf0d1062eca73172ccaf8a8d22c6b op_cert_counter: 16