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 8408572 Details
Epoch: 394 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 85022336 epoch_slot_no: 177536 block_no: 8408395 slot_leader_id: 5178031 size: 46220 time: 2023-02-16 23:03:47 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x49a18a11c1196285045fdc0bb6a95c6f66ab6bfa41f56232cd3171229d78c7dfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ctdcj6fktek9xru35snfgsydx7asaary855rp4m68p4v7a5c9ensj9qmfm op_cert: \xfba7cb751f563422165c0fa7d3a1036ad762a122c8459c8cf4ec35bd3ddc6dc0 op_cert_counter: 14