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 8240342 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 81539929 epoch_slot_no: 151129 block_no: 8240165 slot_leader_id: 4561787 size: 55714 time: 2023-01-07 15:43:40 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9580feeadb3e1a65c4824ef2715ea8e5866dfa97392cd9ee18e49c6cd3da64dfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1smxvme4xjznlgxgxs2kzt3am8p3tza55edcfweyvqtvpfdrm6klq8gxc9l op_cert: \xdeaf35127a0f2b6cb2cecfd1e1c78afe86274531c7b1bd18a85d21db79882caa op_cert_counter: 11