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 8427572 Details
Epoch: 395 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 85417347 epoch_slot_no: 140547 block_no: 8427395 slot_leader_id: 5048264 size: 40718 time: 2023-02-21 12:47:18 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa0a02b70afe1e98809623bc60b48c744b7643d6febb0dc8de4b65cbb1e82ae4cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1plptdmkuchc7wxang99cvjadkwpvpwdzsdzsytqgf84aqvsx3rgsmxxv47 op_cert: \x8f89636f2614402b1f4d8ab57025bad48a4078b1b5a93444dbb32185f600bd28 op_cert_counter: 11