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 8242253 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 81579785 epoch_slot_no: 190985 block_no: 8242076 slot_leader_id: 4558666 size: 74226 time: 2023-01-08 02:47:56 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2b6fabfaeff7e3c83cbba6758889a4d6b15d827a0dab0b4976f49114aa6dd20fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1s3hssxtpjdjc9amqn9wqn6dfyzujsv8jrk6pkl4esfpp99v48ujsflsn70 op_cert: \x3304e2f51bad2605292de6593e5957cc9f0a22d7bf769c4c2b0d7e5c6a21a99d op_cert_counter: 12