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 8440503 Details
Epoch: 395 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 85679089 epoch_slot_no: 402289 block_no: 8440326 slot_leader_id: 4981421 size: 27279 time: 2023-02-24 13:29:40 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xfa4853c8fe52640d68a375f18a6f2009b04f31f1764b8a34b671e1361b0a785dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tqh0annmqlwewqu5wpdxvmxcf2t9wut2rqcty5raqwjqwsaewl5qq9fvc8 op_cert: \x74ba54d267e65fd11aa618a081cd7001a42fec51c21b9e0bf716819ca2b3b3d9 op_cert_counter: 9