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 8246238 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 25 slot_no: 81662171 epoch_slot_no: 273371 block_no: 8246061 slot_leader_id: 5154189 size: 44636 time: 2023-01-09 01:41:02 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xae34ac9d2b574f3ce2dd1877b2b0a080aad7e04ef941c11568002ea33f9bda96Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18svxfgx9c6hrjsu2yu0zye7fjjhgammq2une528athfuvnyjwatq0hlkvm op_cert: \x1087558fc744419289d8c4505b6169533322be0ed507b2bbf79c01d3b8881a6c op_cert_counter: 12