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 8316608 Details
Epoch: 389 Number of transactions in block: 45 slot_no: 83109234 epoch_slot_no: 424434 block_no: 8316431 slot_leader_id: 5242693 size: 83909 time: 2023-01-25 19:38:45 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x618a289ea071c3cf03a117077353197f8130fdd802f88f9e56266b22b4e1b6eeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12p22qhv56fn8fremggehy6fcm7rux36sxmmjqgh0e7jxla4z6acsmw2ndt op_cert: \x77556d94ffea690f4918132060d27841b8620c81376581ea0115744e197f76e0 op_cert_counter: 12