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 8260641 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 81959018 epoch_slot_no: 138218 block_no: 8260464 slot_leader_id: 5596534 size: 38907 time: 2023-01-12 12:08:29 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2179158ed2c614a5dca436cde7bdf30e8a17317adef0234493fe69c04a5b1af1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ltvd0w6hv0uczp02jjdswh5qu9nmfla04qtd25eqsydrf7n2pvssqcuc48 op_cert: \xfd7b073301ce7495fb4ae390de24f56fd90a4b1aa98beaf875c127f85d96b6c5 op_cert_counter: 8