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 8257342 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 81891390 epoch_slot_no: 70590 block_no: 8257165 slot_leader_id: 7046799 size: 28196 time: 2023-01-11 17:21:21 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc537b21dcbdc1579184445bddce909f3ea7a3b10a5e900644a770df4c225dda1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12xahhm30fpf5ymkva2kc96cncuyjvsaygqhuj5s5js30haru4x0s07l58s op_cert: \x96dc1d87f6dc3812ac20f766bb2bae7b15f718421c3b9eec0351af670dcc9777 op_cert_counter: 1659973645