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 8431697 Details
Epoch: 395 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 85502896 epoch_slot_no: 226096 block_no: 8431520 slot_leader_id: 6058284 size: 12562 time: 2023-02-22 12:33:07 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9fe7e4e61602f3786cb315f2757b0348918b4be22d1fa5fdb77f29e53d723663Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1gwdurtpzkdz3tyqcnhj4pedz6e7mtdqa4ta7t6808alqy5h0qa8qcsa246 op_cert: \x4e0ec3b74484f44ccc82a790a042f644a23475b0ac299532140b352a68044b0d op_cert_counter: 12