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 8244642 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 45 slot_no: 81628189 epoch_slot_no: 239389 block_no: 8244465 slot_leader_id: 4679252 size: 88215 time: 2023-01-08 16:14:40 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x223ffe922807c89cf418d6aeb824a0b11a3a2ea3d1de512e4c19a588eec07238Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1u3rp29td29q0txep3j7vvnk3jhpr7rwu8kqwfa34g8ukpqhgppcs8727xq op_cert: \xd1edd9a51cf5d7e8f5b9efc9d240485de51ce2506db5e61fa1aacca54b22f6e5 op_cert_counter: 12