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 8438404 Details
Epoch: 395 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 85637720 epoch_slot_no: 360920 block_no: 8438227 slot_leader_id: 4595854 size: 14963 time: 2023-02-24 02:00:11 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x043817626946463d77a270c61a5c510e7a4c57634497e77175dcb9c73281e1d3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1n4ml366004vvzm25cutqk0x2jpftcxtf29kdmazvgzueal5wztyslf05tq op_cert: \xb7df862e5957cd52cb6f0a9379223a37416326de097d82d073ea4cf457155345 op_cert_counter: 12