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 8257682 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 81898627 epoch_slot_no: 77827 block_no: 8257505 slot_leader_id: 5004651 size: 25817 time: 2023-01-11 19:21:58 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2171c7fd42632a3ff84ffe39abf37e0d74690347fcea310e86fd307f69435bc8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1d9dr3tl0fptww5r9pyxj4kafvxxz4h6vqe9kud4gx062q2rl6l8q49e4p0 op_cert: \x6866606c90f4b61dd1f21418211dc7261f3eb3f6726674123a208b094220b64b op_cert_counter: 8