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 8218538 Details
Epoch: 385 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 81095199 epoch_slot_no: 138399 block_no: 8218361 slot_leader_id: 4555390 size: 37470 time: 2023-01-02 12:11:30 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7b21575d6dd5af6c259bbe3adf22bf623743d722b45da7aec5e8ccc3ffd9e3a5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vgtd8wucu5fd4fhr0mllw37c58yvhhqjxcnzv7xp7us5qez5xadsu7rshg op_cert: \x8069bfd77cd79d7d2f2ee84b16706040d92f9e02fe5575bfcabbe68794df2c46 op_cert_counter: 11