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 8208217 Details
Epoch: 384 Number of transactions in block: 32 slot_no: 80883453 epoch_slot_no: 358653 block_no: 8208040 slot_leader_id: 7482132 size: 44559 time: 2022-12-31 01:22:24 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2137272d17baf123ada16c02a22aa7eccaf317cf8d9cf9c6219784f7c45aedfaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fs4ey2syx83mpyxugc05g0xhk0mya038vcqvvpmmyw4w2tlqp8ysg22ar6 op_cert: \xbc6f5234ef8cdda40c760181f6edff35b741e495fd76544571281af0338f8621 op_cert_counter: 2