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 8246643 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 36 slot_no: 81669930 epoch_slot_no: 281130 block_no: 8246466 slot_leader_id: 5108090 size: 69241 time: 2023-01-09 03:50:21 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x86bfc26a92ca31d3795fa13106216f3d594452ab0736158217e428f55aa199eeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16n3u8f24m45ru3mtupqkzwcwmk4g7k7v654gddpz5ex0ldwtlu5sx4s29v op_cert: \xe121f62341298c840e95547c88b7e71f6061fa88dd21663dea8ad54013da69e5 op_cert_counter: 12