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 8243521 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 32 slot_no: 81605681 epoch_slot_no: 216881 block_no: 8243344 slot_leader_id: 4565000 size: 70311 time: 2023-01-08 09:59:32 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe58a242fc124db733bdf586da250d942029b3ea9c268ba111270464f626a6276Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nf4ql83gqmx3v4l04dzwwlwf8xtcgt6nmv36d9847mmylrrzxu6scj4yh4 op_cert: \x7c1f1599cea9eafae870231836ae81653a3d939e6a15f3bb7e8d0b3af144eb72 op_cert_counter: 12