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 8260516 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 81956539 epoch_slot_no: 135739 block_no: 8260339 slot_leader_id: 5152757 size: 3814 time: 2023-01-12 11:27:10 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0caeff2ce555d80ccb12f1f1e1fc8a3c9801e6b7ccf8578d3474696d38397cd9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hj70x993rze9mhsgj8dvee0vcsx2vxqns92yysnfqueueulwnheqkq0246 op_cert: \xdfe3c55c4d8fc3d619af1ca4e45aa3d8db8dbedc8cf4d343f8cffe437e3b00c8 op_cert_counter: 12