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 8257623 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 23 slot_no: 81897219 epoch_slot_no: 76419 block_no: 8257446 slot_leader_id: 5722985 size: 48502 time: 2023-01-11 18:58:30 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa5f1bba0a6cebc2ccfb26fa12a98d926cd0aa9c237b9e48807e51fe205a24d27Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1jf88wcnx74jxv2q64ftaqrzjr4a5gnmcyardhmln0ts8lsru4gqqur2yj0 op_cert: \x0923ace3ad3c7f59172ba05d17ab7a9da1ec9174164970cdf7b8abc6a5da9302 op_cert_counter: 10