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 8423721 Details
Epoch: 395 Number of transactions in block: 53 slot_no: 85336038 epoch_slot_no: 59238 block_no: 8423544 slot_leader_id: 5449520 size: 87105 time: 2023-02-20 14:12:09 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x160379bb4841d4dc0f3a1261a3482e8929ee0d18370c4e9eb3b6ee18a6a7a09dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1eltmmmv0wvu3n0lxesx298pgxjpytqzj9m42ttvw9fstysv00jaqrt96g5 op_cert: \x5e51ccd26e2613855ee48acdfdc4e4c7912c94af16184dfba188f566a69686a1 op_cert_counter: 11