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 8253586 Details
Epoch: 386 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 81814201 epoch_slot_no: 425401 block_no: 8253409 slot_leader_id: 4580757 size: 16041 time: 2023-01-10 19:54:52 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf9d1ae8d334d3d7485cff93a29cb173a44680eea8b3bbb6a29e1b690170df40aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1st3ysz45pektlvnsxj3s8454x5m8l2jqxjslkcqjk0zuu66l3qfql2m7rv op_cert: \x303443727c1a922b755715f2c56fa6be99737efd0cd3a3a1dbcfd4a9b8665d55 op_cert_counter: 11