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 8261601 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 45 slot_no: 81978343 epoch_slot_no: 157543 block_no: 8261424 slot_leader_id: 5152259 size: 85291 time: 2023-01-12 17:30:34 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x55f49bc5985f1002233c52732569599c1b3828d2ee91400d5d379cf687ba8bd1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1y78shuvly24p9wdhu9wljt7yyyh9ddfgcf3aljgqy52s5rmgqjlsyhzch6 op_cert: \x6e1d3ca53a15538547696fb66b8771ff8acf50811b6a85368bff7087883e56f1 op_cert_counter: 14