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 8246042 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 81658601 epoch_slot_no: 269801 block_no: 8245865 slot_leader_id: 4809597 size: 16459 time: 2023-01-09 00:41:32 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x08873a3f8f9ea628be6258c573e8f6b6706067fe9e6201a74e3ab0407156181eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tawdpfmgzkefrmg603n2cq047d5fj8cs0d4csce4xrxzzst444tsvwet66 op_cert: \x4be92d8bf7ed677538763bd98b8b645d7290b8053071163d42b6d60168c0e1b9 op_cert_counter: 11