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 8173711 Details
Epoch: 383 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 80171971 epoch_slot_no: 79171 block_no: 8173534 slot_leader_id: 5086951 size: 37840 time: 2022-12-22 19:44:22 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf31fa3237b89f0a2fc17eed8d9f2a1fbc34a85d8fc796915996a379c6e8588e8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18x0e7dx8j37gdxftnn8ru6jcxs7n6acdazc4ykeda2ygjwg9a7ls7ns699 op_cert: \x1a7a03d4f2047333c3dfdda4f59ad298791bfa6291171408d2284be2e8a3c64d op_cert_counter: 13