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 8261578 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 81977919 epoch_slot_no: 157119 block_no: 8261401 slot_leader_id: 7046618 size: 40568 time: 2023-01-12 17:23:30 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8fae99081d0de817ed02ec652fef47495b30ad77819883b636e6f2b587690466Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1yx0wlq38wts5edet68apfdh8jxmjwkekmt40rtexfp2melwlq3wqhqemz0 op_cert: \x0577d7b61587c6b6aa5639c848d3ec47d5f13a568180d6839b9b1b8369b34098 op_cert_counter: 1659819325