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 8248514 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 81709562 epoch_slot_no: 320762 block_no: 8248337 slot_leader_id: 4581221 size: 18659 time: 2023-01-09 14:50:53 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x98338e3fd5db9fcaaeebf38ca3434248820a03b3f62fd0bbd8f4b9284212c1a2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mqmks9nnl8er83vfpzcdfnw59azlsnmghwcv3umg2uh9g83u58uqnrtmn2 op_cert: \x4be302d2ab1a5656aaccd03a9cc92abff4aea347d5cf46a7a84cc3bec30b2df3 op_cert_counter: 11