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 8178642 Details
Epoch: 383 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 80273482 epoch_slot_no: 180682 block_no: 8178465 slot_leader_id: 5516217 size: 9615 time: 2022-12-23 23:56:13 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8c97a026798390c00f39ccf9629c3eb4b7679fac234aeec136a9f657a6b5e1a9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1uepzy49n77g33avhwv9xwzyavcuysuzpq6du0vfcwm4r9g2p3t0qv8kem5 op_cert: \xcbad062bf850b2ae0b419ab281c9b82aeb0dcf9b8b1080ed5c1d1fe5fb70c2b3 op_cert_counter: 10