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 8236657 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 33 slot_no: 81462963 epoch_slot_no: 74163 block_no: 8236480 slot_leader_id: 4555484 size: 88847 time: 2023-01-06 18:20:54 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdf5a13ae0699192744c1f0b0bbdf404a005381800a8a1c2121b5d4c0cdada408Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1557zjjfnf9zv28x4dnq7s2qjkeh0d64ametmnp7srl956m8u7j2salhrms op_cert: \x6589b0e76d783609d709b5762c408eb37218d8a5f94700c9e0c5c6ec33423841 op_cert_counter: 16