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 8240826 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 81549833 epoch_slot_no: 161033 block_no: 8240649 slot_leader_id: 4809597 size: 42196 time: 2023-01-07 18:28:44 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x665b02a20c0d34253c40c063b45d06e4b561f9681beebe8ab0f98febade814f3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tawdpfmgzkefrmg603n2cq047d5fj8cs0d4csce4xrxzzst444tsvwet66 op_cert: \x4be92d8bf7ed677538763bd98b8b645d7290b8053071163d42b6d60168c0e1b9 op_cert_counter: 11