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 8248551 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 81710209 epoch_slot_no: 321409 block_no: 8248374 slot_leader_id: 8103509 size: 40072 time: 2023-01-09 15:01:40 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8a906d6ec4f19a547bf52a87779a0a6e30ee13d4c6ef03889e4ff662b530c6c3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1jpedtgaqqhfquu3lc4m2n5w4kcluw9jprpftrncnnqyzn2jmj2sssvz6ak op_cert: \x8d8ed2b670b4966ea359e130ee9a89e2e7fcccafd0bc089a8283299bc7b6df79 op_cert_counter: 1