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 8173431 Details
Epoch: 383 Number of transactions in block: 49 slot_no: 80165631 epoch_slot_no: 72831 block_no: 8173254 slot_leader_id: 4561787 size: 87136 time: 2022-12-22 17:58:42 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x23b1f9159d79cb7fdde8bac7f048e6ad83cf949de9973e4a546e86634742f1f1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1smxvme4xjznlgxgxs2kzt3am8p3tza55edcfweyvqtvpfdrm6klq8gxc9l op_cert: \xdeaf35127a0f2b6cb2cecfd1e1c78afe86274531c7b1bd18a85d21db79882caa op_cert_counter: 11