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 8260862 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 81963726 epoch_slot_no: 142926 block_no: 8260685 slot_leader_id: 6985893 size: 34912 time: 2023-01-12 13:26:57 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe3e6bc6347e49d99e1be7518f00552e0737f172c09c1245262a4a6f9ce9bfaedBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qngzne283hwrc4xnk8f7psx5qhkg3pu7rdcu2nr0m2fwwlc23y2s52g7wk op_cert: \x9effacad9c2d79b6e5d3132f943de5c6714a6df0b6602ecfd640c5eaf4f7f50d op_cert_counter: 4