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 8242869 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 81593197 epoch_slot_no: 204397 block_no: 8242692 slot_leader_id: 7047164 size: 51649 time: 2023-01-08 06:31:28 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xaac6f8c4e2a514f6fa9d256da0b5f592ebcfc09453017d60cc2162997cc10e39Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1u6qem3tc44lmpc6pqj0yp3ujtzje864cp39enr4p90kur0ql2zjqf6wgqc op_cert: \xfbee98b22b2e0c99b94f5fb2d3f92c497ebbaabd72d5e9d140dfa07611b17306 op_cert_counter: 1659973531