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 8248318 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 42 slot_no: 81705452 epoch_slot_no: 316652 block_no: 8248141 slot_leader_id: 5118137 size: 88848 time: 2023-01-09 13:42:23 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xae8a0ddcc20d197b51b133f9889f2b124081ba111adc396e625b4c0c75a81400Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk10u2ppz4q9r739aul8jtyk5c2v7zmtqlungf9gj6jkxkwx2c8296swd4ef3 op_cert: \xfd58e4eb73f38b999f9d69c7d76a1b88e60a90d5401ec7d0b7a4db7b241ff671 op_cert_counter: 23