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 8401609 Details
Epoch: 394 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 84871132 epoch_slot_no: 26332 block_no: 8401432 slot_leader_id: 7006117 size: 10782 time: 2023-02-15 05:03:43 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x189f0ce93a37751f35457db64ad346ed4817dfc3706c3798f9b8be4898144bfeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1e2f93ewu5sgalwzhrjt6j8yzhwexpw7hugcdv9a9jt5haj79r85qvvhdj4 op_cert: \xafdbd6cabe4ab50a7a00a6cbf7cec763efae1a9768ab225aa8ad24bd5167e7bd op_cert_counter: 4