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 8173376 Details
Epoch: 383 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 80164129 epoch_slot_no: 71329 block_no: 8173199 slot_leader_id: 4898788 size: 40671 time: 2022-12-22 17:33:40 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x36031d3e9589be8f15b755f94c9c2964b0c7ed70ce034fbc2e3952581c102fd4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15zvgmteq0qgwmelmhvjlwh483smhf2j06dscurg0gwp70t98fwcsc5v5k3 op_cert: \x179d6da5a41b0b42571be1e779992bc8b93ae64235e316e193fa6d6d88ebd765 op_cert_counter: 15