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 8243514 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 45 slot_no: 81605501 epoch_slot_no: 216701 block_no: 8243337 slot_leader_id: 7046511 size: 87178 time: 2023-01-08 09:56:32 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1c1c4cf1691df1a71e860ca3c2a42f1069213fa84ced4bfd96fbd99c616fdd1aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18n2p53sjjamukq6gevwckvym8fwrfrv037j669zwr33swsxyl7hstjqndu op_cert: \x8a687d58f5c6911dcba3ef175c03274aa43f823132a6edb670c3655ea24f06c8 op_cert_counter: 1659973073