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 8640488 Details
Epoch: 405 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 89794403 epoch_slot_no: 197603 block_no: 8640311 slot_leader_id: 7903459 size: 17521 time: 2023-04-13 04:38:14 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x738a193ac41ebd726e6dd589427552f4c3131252abab49115fb00951a401b6e3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1z7jkgvsrrxj34y6w87qgqnuy5r2yennekn5pqzza0k7g2ux6mj3s3c5th5 op_cert: \xabd4a79e884f06528775a4cda61bc162743a254485a6466741abcad572d1f805 op_cert_counter: 3