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 8218656 Details
Epoch: 385 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 81097283 epoch_slot_no: 140483 block_no: 8218479 slot_leader_id: 5722985 size: 38040 time: 2023-01-02 12:46:14 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe4443d7a963a18cbe7f46fe8e91d84ab7e353b3df041e28cb2cc16b6689eb7acBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1jf88wcnx74jxv2q64ftaqrzjr4a5gnmcyardhmln0ts8lsru4gqqur2yj0 op_cert: \x0923ace3ad3c7f59172ba05d17ab7a9da1ec9174164970cdf7b8abc6a5da9302 op_cert_counter: 10