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 8261345 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 81973270 epoch_slot_no: 152470 block_no: 8261168 slot_leader_id: 4561787 size: 51111 time: 2023-01-12 16:06:01 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x994cf79c3688ffd959d821412ae657c23001e823611a1a2a20c1dc57026ab7ebBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1smxvme4xjznlgxgxs2kzt3am8p3tza55edcfweyvqtvpfdrm6klq8gxc9l op_cert: \xdeaf35127a0f2b6cb2cecfd1e1c78afe86274531c7b1bd18a85d21db79882caa op_cert_counter: 11