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 8098173 Details
Epoch: 379 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 78625280 epoch_slot_no: 260480 block_no: 8097996 slot_leader_id: 4560270 size: 48324 time: 2022-12-04 22:06:11 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9e589cc358ab56f774687ab212e7715f03e89237c6da0195534a603769178daeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1eygszpd9hamesusngyd3sycdnwq9f30vu34jhcm9kvvjl7zgx4cqne3ldf op_cert: \xa011db077ca19d0ac0569384b467c07d8b968a5c516666fbaaf95cb54ab1c30b op_cert_counter: 9