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 8173513 Details
Epoch: 383 Number of transactions in block: 23 slot_no: 80167363 epoch_slot_no: 74563 block_no: 8173336 slot_leader_id: 4609504 size: 40962 time: 2022-12-22 18:27:34 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7a275481a4c751eb965530e060f5638a945ac03ead96713d17d99acb9d927fd2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1973re7lsj6va8q8ly4tpedu9hr9mc28wehfwvhqszd3u48kndatszu3d8w op_cert: \x6af7d8270054ec2ad7a4afa263db76f27821f96ff723b259e34f568eb602ce56 op_cert_counter: 11