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 8218517 Details
Epoch: 385 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 81094884 epoch_slot_no: 138084 block_no: 8218340 slot_leader_id: 4555619 size: 36446 time: 2023-01-02 12:06:15 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x580a901f3c2139f2430f5eed447a2e4ca954d468a9ff9077a6f15ffffb98642dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lqtj7dj5hdqdfe07fzydp5rdqed88ktesuvlgljqwudqr3dlt99swz8kz2 op_cert: \x18e9029bc986255549fb4a7834433f03c846a1dd7012b7da2abb1be735485235 op_cert_counter: 14