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 8340658 Details
Epoch: 391 Number of transactions in block: 41 slot_no: 83606258 epoch_slot_no: 57458 block_no: 8340481 slot_leader_id: 6538171 size: 80646 time: 2023-01-31 13:42:29 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x73886b8c76e827f3c31f80dfb8b00c0c0d8efebcaf798d051882c209698e20d3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18f5xg9y7dmfu8ep0cvscwtldqtjk5m8fud48de0z3kdgqdh0f2tqfyjjr9 op_cert: \xafc9d1e67cc02728fc45466ff189a35994731d6df328cbc0127c716e33514508 op_cert_counter: 9