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 8240653 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 81546163 epoch_slot_no: 157363 block_no: 8240476 slot_leader_id: 4569197 size: 33678 time: 2023-01-07 17:27:34 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3bfdbb3c7cf8cac26c01fa4a39471b34ee77ebf21b217230478ea0acb936d7bdBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fu2vy36f5je5nz9qex83agkxqcs29kfwdty63hdm0vgwdzm2hvpqea7zl7 op_cert: \x3ce1a8bc26cd5ba533688c6669d15f9ea58a05a312e3a2aa26bc928b0f7487be op_cert_counter: 11