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 8260604 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 81958132 epoch_slot_no: 137332 block_no: 8260427 slot_leader_id: 5221109 size: 38264 time: 2023-01-12 11:53:43 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9adaa3cd61bcad02f7a378c446aafb39ed0af9e2992b7ad4f027408285add018Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tquqa2wag84pltqser006e0qvxqkms0yj62fnfc98lly9yhuzz3s0nw7r4 op_cert: \x421f395bdc9c79e8d03395aff04f63a0b2497a38b840692c1aa99c677c776414 op_cert_counter: 10