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 8244635 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 81628010 epoch_slot_no: 239210 block_no: 8244458 slot_leader_id: 4556264 size: 54776 time: 2023-01-08 16:11:41 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x74eeb595df6ce20d36a3cc09633c91d7416990e9bd76c253efb0feefc7d95191Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1x8944k6j572wpdtz4tn3l9pam2ddhp6an35ma4ug9mr2rvqflz3shpaj36 op_cert: \x099d9993cb264769190653997d1b0c1e09b2a317ab4598d1fa7107a51c0b2ccd op_cert_counter: 11