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 8173574 Details
Epoch: 383 Number of transactions in block: 56 slot_no: 80168749 epoch_slot_no: 75949 block_no: 8173397 slot_leader_id: 4555645 size: 86043 time: 2022-12-22 18:50:40 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5e831a27f279cdb29ca158bcf7cb21bec171d9873510a8cf13dd3efbb58a56d3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18mvldxxw5k9gd9a8dznc63ez4x80mpdkz6l0wrm6y430p22nvfqq62u7ty op_cert: \x774dcc3fcad5fd629e8725759ba82da1481f70c607aac00aaf97704edeaa33b0 op_cert_counter: 13