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 8246646 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 81669994 epoch_slot_no: 281194 block_no: 8246469 slot_leader_id: 6558340 size: 39542 time: 2023-01-09 03:51:25 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x512911c3c00ed31e8b71f4d08909e900b670a5abf7eddef6e3165bb9203fc415Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk14ntfzwghmk9d6sed5qhwx3l8ed7l0rl87alsr9x2kdva84m0fc5sz48l04 op_cert: \x567a4005c4c5c60ddb7e35e4dc3ff350ae03aafe0dde57a4f110cc5b9dfdbbe0 op_cert_counter: 6