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 8243406 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 81603243 epoch_slot_no: 214443 block_no: 8243229 slot_leader_id: 5048264 size: 20796 time: 2023-01-08 09:18:54 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8296c7691ac86bf65f3ad65e880ebfe6ace736367ff41b7d0e8077d4a878b9a4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1plptdmkuchc7wxang99cvjadkwpvpwdzsdzsytqgf84aqvsx3rgsmxxv47 op_cert: \x8f89636f2614402b1f4d8ab57025bad48a4078b1b5a93444dbb32185f600bd28 op_cert_counter: 11