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 8240697 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 55 slot_no: 81547384 epoch_slot_no: 158584 block_no: 8240520 slot_leader_id: 5354399 size: 88774 time: 2023-01-07 17:47:55 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x693d8d5e8b56772c6ff153f3bea5c2de899cdc67ba9fcf9001a59190b38ed521Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk13zc6c3uj5y955haryzdh4fngv5u7ywxet5sekx8gy87mwws95lhswx60dp op_cert: \xaf1ff7e24d761ab3730a56ee71bde6f891ce19493462c6a2c75d228661d2424c op_cert_counter: 9