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 8261221 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 81970616 epoch_slot_no: 149816 block_no: 8261044 slot_leader_id: 5512499 size: 32860 time: 2023-01-12 15:21:47 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4a3fc549403a346e40d7fc58deec6e8c3739e5a5f85876b1442ee578cdf18dc6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ys9nhj9yzzd7lwpgthrc2rrtekkaal7frdv86em07exn84vd658svuuk2x op_cert: \xbfe9910362cdeeaae11faa27c7e8d415c56212812569673504d7c86884cdffe3 op_cert_counter: 7