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 8442974 Details
Epoch: 396 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 85730113 epoch_slot_no: 21313 block_no: 8442797 slot_leader_id: 5279212 size: 36722 time: 2023-02-25 03:40:04 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x340f38112cfb5ff45660a4185d06f485ea940eda56b560e0e65bba8d9c8c7d89Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk128auv3rradx0skjhetgfvk7aagq0rzfcamkv53mxg200cvxme2pq5e88kj op_cert: \x97b151dd8466d9c67b1c007d2065684257eed8f4f4a399c0dc393d0cf0a87a15 op_cert_counter: 9