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 8342638 Details
Epoch: 391 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 83647404 epoch_slot_no: 98604 block_no: 8342461 slot_leader_id: 4981372 size: 35375 time: 2023-02-01 01:08:15 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc325cbfd46986697c5ca09dd14c794ed8f19fd5d8bd605a422fab0d1e3bf0e9dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zex6fy5atu7e7l5akzqqjvzn80valqdng56hta8p3uyvajyhuxpsd7f3v3 op_cert: \xfd296caa2b25183c71a0c107bb76f2865a99a7e269204a5c7b2210ce923182c5 op_cert_counter: 9