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 8242542 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 36 slot_no: 81586537 epoch_slot_no: 197737 block_no: 8242365 slot_leader_id: 5409679 size: 85030 time: 2023-01-08 04:40:28 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x01bc68605cf0985e229f0fb944d4378ccfe82e4a0ff9c95fe7000bf83bf92344Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk100ss4vjhffrk6sag0pl3rkpppqk952tuk9zng3jecd48t8annsaqzrd7qr op_cert: \x0ea7a0c897e5c544b1b0d136768f3f287696c67337a37b7868e5db59b4742680 op_cert_counter: 11