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 8421721 Details
Epoch: 395 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 85294038 epoch_slot_no: 17238 block_no: 8421544 slot_leader_id: 4555957 size: 11087 time: 2023-02-20 02:32:09 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa158f985b2deb513ce9a20ac67dde5fc12992ac7ff365bfa6355cece0a9933d2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk19gst8x5h2ypvr84p69za7ys90x39jh8x66t82dpykylwe6c40l0s5ks6l5 op_cert: \xc576f0cc24e265db319ae4c51e077b6ce552e215e544dec3062d6c2ce280f74a op_cert_counter: 14