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 8257495 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 81894908 epoch_slot_no: 74108 block_no: 8257318 slot_leader_id: 7376579 size: 19658 time: 2023-01-11 18:19:59 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd6973f3bed76f304aaac54b2d32bc9a447fa4e9aa286d2e5e621fbb76190ddb8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1jrnkv44tm0xxpt63tflypqpfaja4e35zl6g249n9uk4pyp5nj8ast3rj04 op_cert: \x391a511bdca5ba19ce84b9e79671664ebea1fb0e7521baebfaed0425071d777a op_cert_counter: 1659975393