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 8260714 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 81960479 epoch_slot_no: 139679 block_no: 8260537 slot_leader_id: 4768924 size: 20700 time: 2023-01-12 12:32:50 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xfca36a9cbad5abb93dba215c18e4bb40fc13db9ce83c3ece5722ad7bc18ef6fcBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qn8s87qr08428hgpclq333a8hk8mpp3gtcfj7nte3ujpdz7psduqdxm48w op_cert: \x2066e69b20212e04d5d11fa609381edb7a96ed8aaeebdc304dd2865fb6aa3bde op_cert_counter: 15