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 8242703 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 35 slot_no: 81590039 epoch_slot_no: 201239 block_no: 8242526 slot_leader_id: 7857099 size: 88554 time: 2023-01-08 05:38:50 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcb8f70f6aea6740f5d5d40b3b9b8193c7af4417d6ff3928421d6e906ab3da12eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1xz7va97akkyrm4namkjjhwernea94c4vxqaea6w7p97f464e5tvqwx3gt5 op_cert: \x736007428a4b7862eb57379b6c77c2fe266a78bbda13969f1f0f1c30153a8965 op_cert_counter: 2