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 8258538 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 81917170 epoch_slot_no: 96370 block_no: 8258361 slot_leader_id: 6877023 size: 88728 time: 2023-01-12 00:31:01 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xab800a6b2f9cd300191a7eedf5df00b5e931c9b1395e03116856db1c5e31b7d5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1v47hmwys4azcm5dsveat7tuw7vgzy4h29f2gtnp6zezt52zxgtgq953u35 op_cert: \xa1824be7e51468aad4908a6b2fcc6459ce7393554cd63be96bf3d195469796bd op_cert_counter: 4