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 8242863 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 81593065 epoch_slot_no: 204265 block_no: 8242686 slot_leader_id: 5723341 size: 57087 time: 2023-01-08 06:29:16 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0dbcdd76ed94e394a7d25e6f21e77d77d4d071e5904d7833923a75af911e1eaaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk13prnapn27gt6zpwyw7h7v9me470447vlq5nhemwwm5kjkq7tdfqsvwmtp6 op_cert: \x48b2bb6f2160792bb3a514c77ae22345ae60a27e4ac29fb2db3ff9d10ae5eca7 op_cert_counter: 10