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 8217173 Details
Epoch: 385 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 81068147 epoch_slot_no: 111347 block_no: 8216996 slot_leader_id: 6058284 size: 47766 time: 2023-01-02 04:40:38 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa1e8a8bb2eec9a14f205433da5ce55b29d5e0525527f57fc1a128046f9a4e7adBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1gwdurtpzkdz3tyqcnhj4pedz6e7mtdqa4ta7t6808alqy5h0qa8qcsa246 op_cert: \xeea2a153949bdd14cf69b7fff496df24348c43ddf6a9123e83687e4d8770802e op_cert_counter: 10