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 8231558 Details
Epoch: 385 Number of transactions in block: 31 slot_no: 81358266 epoch_slot_no: 401466 block_no: 8231381 slot_leader_id: 5048264 size: 58805 time: 2023-01-05 13:15:57 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8dc698f7c506325ae83d3fa4ac78d8076befe568be79df6e5a85a5bcca39b1a4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1plptdmkuchc7wxang99cvjadkwpvpwdzsdzsytqgf84aqvsx3rgsmxxv47 op_cert: \x15dd68ca4c441e6d6528bc70242fdfc5cd0926ff55e382371b49f2c7084dd28e op_cert_counter: 10