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 8257394 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 81892528 epoch_slot_no: 71728 block_no: 8257217 slot_leader_id: 5495683 size: 20135 time: 2023-01-11 17:40:19 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa23b1a33ae7066068667d8519aa841568702bdbb787b8f9035ecf655e2b6cf87Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16rypntlhatkcnyrr2w99jmasvnzh9p7utsc6hjc2ezwavqquw79stjmj5a op_cert: \xcac75f5755d2ccb5427b20693ee879ab0882278aed96d1beef38ed2f82b75c23 op_cert_counter: 7