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 8246480 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 10 slot_no: 81666669 epoch_slot_no: 277869 block_no: 8246303 slot_leader_id: 5850027 size: 46979 time: 2023-01-09 02:56:00 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9610020d7208891f0ac942440336e8e3742ccb8206aa53d1cd96d8b2a4897c59Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sjykdja6p73ndjzvgd76xmps9gqlm3dj3neu4983a5hkmfh7v5es5lnzsz op_cert: \xb743b4d36ccf4c9617d5c69533b933b0b44637af581820b994e7c23d3ef30a14 op_cert_counter: 1