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 8173898 Details
Epoch: 383 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 80175464 epoch_slot_no: 82664 block_no: 8173721 slot_leader_id: 4566298 size: 13421 time: 2022-12-22 20:42:35 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3f211558bc21fb6447d79428505eb5e9a9ea97a0df8a79535bfa511343df5ac1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18jwugcagrtfvn0efq9pgpzt327vnqkwstxpqq84q3ndsjqu559lq9u8yv5 op_cert: \xca6d3ea86f03b05e578a1f6d12af390c634c29a4e97946eb57fa1a838d2b0531 op_cert_counter: 12