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 8240174 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 39 slot_no: 81536272 epoch_slot_no: 147472 block_no: 8239997 slot_leader_id: 4561262 size: 86666 time: 2023-01-07 14:42:43 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcc7446a793ea23caaf5f5dbd5b933378d7f1e6ead9047596d00196fac3236e47Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12ak5n6v2m74k2c3ac9hellewm5ssarw363vgh7hc4ujshmdf60rs2furrn op_cert: \xdd9a65a32451cf6030bfb9ed8d2364d217c9ed7e28d068c2fdb42805ce8311eb op_cert_counter: 16