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 8220873 Details
Epoch: 385 Number of transactions in block: 45 slot_no: 81142307 epoch_slot_no: 185507 block_no: 8220696 slot_leader_id: 5338866 size: 72547 time: 2023-01-03 01:16:38 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7ec624ad541f1e18ae3ef265af584e6e3d7e5a17901c9b41d43167a452b8f55eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1asexvv3nqmy6rjltfu5jzfa6fverwlcyj8e5c4ur76nv4z8yh9psyr2k27 op_cert: \xadb9e0197956049d071e5ae20e14ffbc43445f20c511096a86790922c297784c op_cert_counter: 8