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 8246222 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 81661927 epoch_slot_no: 273127 block_no: 8246045 slot_leader_id: 4559410 size: 43782 time: 2023-01-09 01:36:58 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7917ce2c82d38687086cb80463080fe8a23aed5167417e6cf3f59a4be6eeed9aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zull6yxhycymv7q0l4lkrzz8r0g7kcm8cghypcajrtvh90dy73wsu3hew2 op_cert: \x599fd54490611f9ed3cf1ecb0724a3bc383a3d7a321e6c89ddb74342bc959508 op_cert_counter: 10