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 8248426 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 48 slot_no: 81708158 epoch_slot_no: 319358 block_no: 8248249 slot_leader_id: 5449731 size: 88759 time: 2023-01-09 14:27:29 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x36a26a6a7584d883b654c0361ba6abbdb464b75a14affdb7e9008e949c50e84aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mt5n3nu8z9q47t2dngdgfmp53gj0ptwnvv2uqxwxv9e4trkl3nzqt7nka2 op_cert: \xb819519428d07417283962945ef1a9fe9485d6ba8bad955bd4842d54c07a9197 op_cert_counter: 8