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 8243340 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 81602049 epoch_slot_no: 213249 block_no: 8243163 slot_leader_id: 6447407 size: 47126 time: 2023-01-08 08:59:00 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcf696adb1b39569fc081000d96b71509c0e9579343dd88afb78917dbe8105a64Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17s0c6llg4n528nceavvaxrlgekfxfqpjvd8rhwac5few2cny4g7spzt04t op_cert: \x7cacdd1b0805fb82c3deba1335b3004ccaec4aa16d779463b1b880792ed19031 op_cert_counter: 8