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 8248516 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 81709598 epoch_slot_no: 320798 block_no: 8248339 slot_leader_id: 4560329 size: 21156 time: 2023-01-09 14:51:29 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x900dcaffa7a3b15ddb5725d4d364c019904d587110f327d2e864e73d3989dfeaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1rcczqvh08687crmnemj7ykr8t5nhygv97uhjafn2wtkvhm43uc8qm8z782 op_cert: \x6f82e6360c0aa1d991543e1e706e43fd2a333156a868de815ef6eb5125073a77 op_cert_counter: 13