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 8442978 Details
Epoch: 396 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 85730275 epoch_slot_no: 21475 block_no: 8442801 slot_leader_id: 7581727 size: 54104 time: 2023-02-25 03:42:46 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8f45c1938016819127a297ee38675664340cf97d68f66942168bd1f70a2f85b6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18stcjdcu588hsmyhcpjq98vqwmw9ry3gamvyldv6rdwv75gfxflq82dh27 op_cert: \x367fede47c490e33fb04134c60ac5db985c4a584a0035f83b1b1a99cbef5f28c op_cert_counter: 2