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 8260638 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 51 slot_no: 81958974 epoch_slot_no: 138174 block_no: 8260461 slot_leader_id: 7046460 size: 72176 time: 2023-01-12 12:07:45 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4581d1898555ca3c2184936561e6249e1b86b95372f0917c2cdcdd65e1e8a2c6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1gsld0lh0p44ntxnu2ac5vlr4dcdj7jq6ru259kp0duk0fu0095js7rcd9x op_cert: \x054d8a653dea3e7b05206065aa5b16f9c9b939a4f77894ba6cbe67014fcb61f6 op_cert_counter: 1659973414