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 8240658 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 81546254 epoch_slot_no: 157454 block_no: 8240481 slot_leader_id: 4555892 size: 19576 time: 2023-01-07 17:29:05 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x44779333616505e9818903baffd0dfb12cf800386c61d8035d25a872b7bcd7c1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pgcwdc0qvw7ejcrlqhxltpv5qrk4s8l8n3f64z8kjkaep6pqyljsxe7272 op_cert: \x7ca03465220e13bfcc73e13d98ca55dfc65a58ce9aadce7514bd80ddb908e015 op_cert_counter: 14