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 8246406 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 81665468 epoch_slot_no: 276668 block_no: 8246229 slot_leader_id: 4560858 size: 79548 time: 2023-01-09 02:35:59 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf07fc218964846d4612c80c705f2d8f691ba1774856c2e926923fdd2967641e0Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mrwwxpf2pdsu4es46gu7rjy82fntc0538p8a7vuhrmu2ddxn68kqstj6y3 op_cert: \x26d6e583624c90acc99860b919b7bc6ddd27f014568ebbbd9de7d811e30f84a6 op_cert_counter: 10