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 8261604 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 51 slot_no: 81978454 epoch_slot_no: 157654 block_no: 8261427 slot_leader_id: 4711714 size: 77539 time: 2023-01-12 17:32:25 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xfe5d27b6cabda32e08aa9adba2ddca21e8a8d685dbba2a16eca7188ad7840463Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1epams3708wqnm8khz8u3hhph9f3zyl7eh3k7a9k2ys03y9nz73msfxhwug op_cert: \xe0d06201507be72cb15dfa067f84e96b8bae836a7a737ae3e39e6b0f0351e405 op_cert_counter: 14