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 8249674 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 81733040 epoch_slot_no: 344240 block_no: 8249497 slot_leader_id: 4633520 size: 41331 time: 2023-01-09 21:22:11 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xefcacd90266e10881fb70ed602576ff99979ceb101ed840126fe1414fffd0f63Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qtfnpacu3kmr92tyfztcswj44ee0pav0h47kmw7ylqh65r3lf5js7ut334 op_cert: \xf87bb93fcb3922dfc975efbbf4c1c66722ef10e33547c2e213334e4ee35a5ab5 op_cert_counter: 14