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 8171221 Details
Epoch: 383 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 80120273 epoch_slot_no: 27473 block_no: 8171044 slot_leader_id: 5388331 size: 31179 time: 2022-12-22 05:22:44 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4f455355180d80e3b5a0a255eef4c1d54d1d43b1232c1c6214b4080ff1f42d5eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qj2ya4zs9r8zuzlprmh7edcp3skdzd2r9gk9mfj4up52jdasl5es8ukz74 op_cert: \xcab93a38967997fbccd17ddb5ee682ff6a46fe5952e161222c1ba1e5f1ad5336 op_cert_counter: 6