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 8246184 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 81661173 epoch_slot_no: 272373 block_no: 8246007 slot_leader_id: 5343663 size: 19130 time: 2023-01-09 01:24:24 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x827a40f33d1ac75349e3e97ce0e24756fa51f32eaa295b27083eb7c4361fbabaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1eenan99pzz67tgzjmwat3xysx2dlpj57r7fmgm0337xrx5z2y36s5spv4a op_cert: \x49bc04db53f452308f9f4b8808bb38abb2f97825f95c682f0476431c2695b375 op_cert_counter: 8