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 8257497 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 81894934 epoch_slot_no: 74134 block_no: 8257320 slot_leader_id: 6447407 size: 52248 time: 2023-01-11 18:20:25 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe1aa57f7ab1fed4a9f96bf9a19ccce1d4b5c616f636a217a3540b3ac8c432f59Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17s0c6llg4n528nceavvaxrlgekfxfqpjvd8rhwac5few2cny4g7spzt04t op_cert: \x7cacdd1b0805fb82c3deba1335b3004ccaec4aa16d779463b1b880792ed19031 op_cert_counter: 8