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 8242268 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 81580161 epoch_slot_no: 191361 block_no: 8242091 slot_leader_id: 6574510 size: 82618 time: 2023-01-08 02:54:12 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4f92f78eaa549d22485ea2089bba50172eb607d131a8960e545e9512d9eded2aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16uujxtr48w5e83rwc5vtwlhnqk7mx0u4ctk0v6u6nj3m8wmey7tsk4qswm op_cert: \x4a671c407177ac58e07a91ca2d7d283e9456084fe47a6289aee0841718e83fa7 op_cert_counter: 4