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 8260173 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 23 slot_no: 81949715 epoch_slot_no: 128915 block_no: 8259996 slot_leader_id: 5428364 size: 38076 time: 2023-01-12 09:33:26 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf550f3dea3c26e8dd8165d4b4f72a5f2db855123d7a92c2f2ebe444c535398e1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk13jfew8as9lgnz8hmdl5e0pck6jq876ptddrymjm5ajs2n5atkuqqs9x0j2 op_cert: \xbd21e90219a408dc67b6edb635060e49912c1689872f47a425a38fa12394e489 op_cert_counter: 9