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 8261597 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 81978247 epoch_slot_no: 157447 block_no: 8261420 slot_leader_id: 4558052 size: 3617 time: 2023-01-12 17:28:58 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5edddae399a04b23117aaf1b7eb334edf33bbc3bb283e76af0c1640937ae2fa1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12cmp9tznzdsp64q4clmnyn20k78xewtn4m2uzmv5rjfkknvm6h4sztrzhl op_cert: \xc943db335042011feb302c2249980babb737e5884db258c67288dffb4189e7ab op_cert_counter: 14