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 8261623 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 81978858 epoch_slot_no: 158058 block_no: 8261446 slot_leader_id: 4558149 size: 10281 time: 2023-01-12 17:39:09 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb225d683aefa9847ae9e11df6637c5e052f01b9fa6fe197ead814b048a25da1bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16gc6z40vt9qmwsfmlgy4n9ftxamfyawzsuspgug3a8w90jx6jv8s7j6knz op_cert: \xf2dcce1f3a395023a4a278a2c94eb930ce8bb1492b7e8564ffb80ecebdf46581 op_cert_counter: 12