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 8261626 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 23 slot_no: 81978932 epoch_slot_no: 158132 block_no: 8261449 slot_leader_id: 5495880 size: 39723 time: 2023-01-12 17:40:23 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9e8df85422139fe0c3e246b66b7709776f2fb2d89840ec32a4e3d7ce818eea16Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hzlkmk042kzd0zrdkthh2h3fmepesecz5cxq4k352fusuz4lhvzsxu87s3 op_cert: \xbcb5599c9f52a41a7be95d1eb398563a56ed354ec45cbdab7353d3162bf38cff op_cert_counter: 14