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 8176658 Details
Epoch: 383 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 80232856 epoch_slot_no: 140056 block_no: 8176481 slot_leader_id: 5152757 size: 36526 time: 2022-12-23 12:39:07 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x818090eb40843eef579007be4d7a51f1872c90e10891e2dfbc48293bb9f5997aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hj70x993rze9mhsgj8dvee0vcsx2vxqns92yysnfqueueulwnheqkq0246 op_cert: \xdfe3c55c4d8fc3d619af1ca4e45aa3d8db8dbedc8cf4d343f8cffe437e3b00c8 op_cert_counter: 12