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 8312717 Details
Epoch: 389 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 83028438 epoch_slot_no: 343638 block_no: 8312540 slot_leader_id: 5087105 size: 29906 time: 2023-01-24 21:12:09 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa39fa5a7c81c9722ec8c16f2fc067f09be94f143a892c406c63ed8d64df48ad9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zygx4nnpn0yqs0wzh5g275ppjh2fudrqqwxh9r4stvux5s9xeasqqnh9s8 op_cert: \x1da68a5148288ee5bcfa5f1ce3c513fabea5a203264f17520e44d9c084c4b588 op_cert_counter: 18