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 8258638 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 27 slot_no: 81919112 epoch_slot_no: 98312 block_no: 8258461 slot_leader_id: 4671216 size: 41267 time: 2023-01-12 01:03:23 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdbc8990bc0b87c26a5e2ba97ef2e159997c0fedb7bece764f358bcb977ecc6d4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk19n0pvl9egpmf90hv0d6qf7ldehv307shs9pmh045vy90ns62n5sq3l4ft3 op_cert: \x1f1d31e099cb2aafe0fac67e12a0ab8af614cd9f7be60ef76040dbc509aa4424 op_cert_counter: 37