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 8173636 Details
Epoch: 383 Number of transactions in block: 25 slot_no: 80170119 epoch_slot_no: 77319 block_no: 8173459 slot_leader_id: 4700074 size: 49244 time: 2022-12-22 19:13:30 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5fa0d45013197cdb96141964e6910b908435373def8128ccf72fb90d598b74b5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lhpjghvpvyrrepu2um08lpgs8z7dp9wuyx4n7mtqkvm86zrxqg9staf8tc op_cert: \xaad349eb50fe8545027ce9e4476f6358cac673ddd544aff671d93009516e7590 op_cert_counter: 9