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 8257486 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 43 slot_no: 81894761 epoch_slot_no: 73961 block_no: 8257309 slot_leader_id: 7046729 size: 88526 time: 2023-01-11 18:17:32 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x511631729fa93c67888f6d06d156908d6ee999b8b164c91e74effbe730b7ad2dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ffmgargyrpt76axwe2epzk8luerdcwv6tlg6mxs7a7908ypahkvqwf2t89 op_cert: \x82539bc404390c304fda02da711ed084892ef0801eea9560b109acaf0ccc0804 op_cert_counter: 1660589466