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 8238478 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 81500003 epoch_slot_no: 111203 block_no: 8238301 slot_leader_id: 4556700 size: 21178 time: 2023-01-07 04:38:14 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x178c1d2f2020a7b4b24471e665b86077b0bd16c4f862c01e8e2eae57d28b82d6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk13h3fs42athsy0qxwg99u9uge7m0ul973exll0ga0g9uhwp3yfssshn9m34 op_cert: \x72236ea273fc44e97dfdb760f6f1d2aef4a5c4a54e4e17ae21e11f42b9986278 op_cert_counter: 12