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 8173521 Details
Epoch: 383 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 80167536 epoch_slot_no: 74736 block_no: 8173344 slot_leader_id: 4556351 size: 31579 time: 2022-12-22 18:30:27 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2d2ebb1d0d8a6a0d5e35a5de69178df9915b9ea404e729a7363dd4158557718dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vpf2x74q4rz5ypeekn4vx7rnddfygwjg2mgkukmgque84c7dhyxqgz7zas op_cert: \xfd2a265571d4c31920d8c6d4cf49787005d5c5edeeab88466a7ad300337787de op_cert_counter: 19