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 8257722 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 81899445 epoch_slot_no: 78645 block_no: 8257545 slot_leader_id: 6447359 size: 4364 time: 2023-01-11 19:35:36 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xea60a7f2657bcbe221ff09b47701b387c6cfe9e8edfb10e4352e91b7656053aeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ufkxe2rwywsmmks6ldvqu6yw6efxz08spz5mv39f6ve9w7ss447qn23fsm op_cert: \xdf31f1c59b99236058b4f314b1642d70b61a605f62192ab88a226563eb1c3701 op_cert_counter: 8