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 8220621 Details
Epoch: 385 Number of transactions in block: 45 slot_no: 81137273 epoch_slot_no: 180473 block_no: 8220444 slot_leader_id: 7838858 size: 85832 time: 2023-01-02 23:52:44 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8631dc455569562bc9c190f976c6a48d71dda4120786a82a29fb83cbf0b48debBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zsqw0zgyw2p8c6aap33g23ymgf4fxw4a4p4ar0w46xundkvfaraswkux48 op_cert: \x178398bf9ed6deb19a6a3445adb2463ab77549959ea3b59c53695f3ce1042dc3 op_cert_counter: 1