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 8421874 Details
Epoch: 395 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 85297143 epoch_slot_no: 20343 block_no: 8421697 slot_leader_id: 7046472 size: 21373 time: 2023-02-20 03:23:54 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x6f62f25d52240c718b3f1b30307162ca5bc1b2fedd6a73e795e7894ccafdbf9dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ggupvuw2683qe4m9qpg9ahk48ecr29x2azcjy92v5h529c82z8es9kssun op_cert: \xe59167091aa8c222c13b6adc0c9c20a7802f3dd71897669e6bfb83a06007061e op_cert_counter: 1659972755