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 8442040 Details
Epoch: 396 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 85710507 epoch_slot_no: 1707 block_no: 8441863 slot_leader_id: 5343663 size: 88910 time: 2023-02-24 22:13:18 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x068b946063ca291302552a6c47623b5939363a084087fda1b99360656c0bfa86Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1eenan99pzz67tgzjmwat3xysx2dlpj57r7fmgm0337xrx5z2y36s5spv4a op_cert: \xc40afa0a2428a3e768202d860ee9e20e9c68fe6d6ace845e193f5b600556f362 op_cert_counter: 9