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 8257604 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 81896826 epoch_slot_no: 76026 block_no: 8257427 slot_leader_id: 4565763 size: 38386 time: 2023-01-11 18:51:57 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5f9109efe8030714ac17dff00faa35c91a280ae63f305a912453eff32288cfb3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1d9k2lfgxss8ccrscemg4z52gmtg9mvdrvmqdyweqzdyhzmaugk3q3jmg2z op_cert: \x9bdbeb63d4918bf0632487b975ebd2c4a516d62d96d0963a6435683e803dcc25 op_cert_counter: 14