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 8242248 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 81579642 epoch_slot_no: 190842 block_no: 8242071 slot_leader_id: 5877750 size: 50659 time: 2023-01-08 02:45:33 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb2f98048bcf625f55a4f1ca8f5f8c9f9876f899fc144b6279fc37e7f42d5ae16Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1x0k9wcxcelvdngthl28dyuzjd99d6sdvg66tpyajwy2z9z8098eswkqpve op_cert: \x4e5c9be0bbbe8b911ea8a8a896c8646c7d55bb4313cbcaa61f34f45382eea130 op_cert_counter: 10