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 8242973 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 81595183 epoch_slot_no: 206383 block_no: 8242796 slot_leader_id: 7046618 size: 22067 time: 2023-01-08 07:04:34 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd4464cf607ef6506935d9c7bf802aa293584b2217d3f12860109fbce0b5e7b85Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1yx0wlq38wts5edet68apfdh8jxmjwkekmt40rtexfp2melwlq3wqhqemz0 op_cert: \x0577d7b61587c6b6aa5639c848d3ec47d5f13a568180d6839b9b1b8369b34098 op_cert_counter: 1659819325