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 8257504 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 81895088 epoch_slot_no: 74288 block_no: 8257327 slot_leader_id: 4626196 size: 24482 time: 2023-01-11 18:22:59 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x27b248867fafdc646ed88a31463d27ea0dee1b305741f02271ae7d57d7c7ded8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pdppl3vx2wxj752ywjy6c963707waeqdn3pux4jywcx7dzeev8wsg0c7kl op_cert: \x19119e9313a244d5ac139189feefae8bba5c5ce81266edbcc73fc8d9838aa630 op_cert_counter: 16