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 8440523 Details
Epoch: 395 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 85679529 epoch_slot_no: 402729 block_no: 8440346 slot_leader_id: 4654045 size: 26376 time: 2023-02-24 13:37:00 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf4bee459f1f79ddfe1ad90bac9d1ba38afe71774129e01d9f014ae0b875215f1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1k697welhug4ydtr6zucp0vvx3r3jf7nx0x2qxzzr3qr43m5pl4yq6dd6l8 op_cert: \x02712e194378072ebfd745f49f8c759dedfbe219104ab1d85e9302e8f2468163 op_cert_counter: 11