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 8218631 Details
Epoch: 385 Number of transactions in block: 41 slot_no: 81096823 epoch_slot_no: 140023 block_no: 8218454 slot_leader_id: 4558367 size: 83050 time: 2023-01-02 12:38:34 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x42a60e267575df02bad471909fa1b86cc717256484e3849ba058e85633a6375bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nkf2z3s4sm00xtme6n7yxwdaye0dhwpz8zptyh22u9ex4pnugzmsulqnd6 op_cert: \x5af4fe31dc16314c19a77838bd8a9a6b354792d7cf6a372b40065bbd91aa6547 op_cert_counter: 13