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 8261401 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 81974202 epoch_slot_no: 153402 block_no: 8261224 slot_leader_id: 4559083 size: 21026 time: 2023-01-12 16:21:33 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa281cfb1a1b81186643e995e36a97ba0201392f75c8b2e6bdf7f149e3ff2e30eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1kkm2ddusu6fx76ag2cj44te7k5vjejqvq0hwcarfe5lkgdzt47ms4h9tp2 op_cert: \x4e477071a5ded68edfc8f3dda44d096a431f326cc5417d83dcef5110f33a1387 op_cert_counter: 12