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 8231705 Details
Epoch: 385 Number of transactions in block: 46 slot_no: 81361578 epoch_slot_no: 404778 block_no: 8231528 slot_leader_id: 4556473 size: 88162 time: 2023-01-05 14:11:09 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2bdc518e869dd0a37a88e3f550c078f7b37e96cf4e4d781417e08e7b8997e5bbBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wqptsu5qtu77rtvghckm2knuykntte2egfaqa4duc328p4q6rjls569vn3 op_cert: \xd4409584943d56aeaa15fb196e88a5e2718853cf7da3993ec1809ea50fca2239 op_cert_counter: 13