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 8438318 Details
Epoch: 395 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 85635962 epoch_slot_no: 359162 block_no: 8438141 slot_leader_id: 4633520 size: 26744 time: 2023-02-24 01:30:53 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5f5cb97ec3fbf65b1424b11a7d75a7717ae5799d4766082bdab093e3e8207fd7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qtfnpacu3kmr92tyfztcswj44ee0pav0h47kmw7ylqh65r3lf5js7ut334 op_cert: \xf87bb93fcb3922dfc975efbbf4c1c66722ef10e33547c2e213334e4ee35a5ab5 op_cert_counter: 14