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 8172857 Details
Epoch: 383 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 80152542 epoch_slot_no: 59742 block_no: 8172680 slot_leader_id: 6753941 size: 29796 time: 2022-12-22 14:20:33 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc9bd0982e6cdd4822ee6ea799cac7636e6f648b8fc36b568352027391214eab4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ln9sqsqw9kgqc80882r595xvu4mnlluqv50l6rpg8q5lfp3all9s9c36jq op_cert: \xea6fdb5f4714c1c5614a9e81fc0e5823318008eb739f7346f124bebc1fdffb4a op_cert_counter: 5