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 8261649 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 81979288 epoch_slot_no: 158488 block_no: 8261472 slot_leader_id: 5609033 size: 40089 time: 2023-01-12 17:46:19 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcbd29b23409ac1a27aa771f05e9a5169c7ffad39faeb61c4eaddb68962fe4f66Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ex02ql6j98agcepmrxpqrkkhmvehpwjv90n50m0d7xgfuqpxn6sq8y9jsf op_cert: \xaea0fd7ac918629c00ef30cb84ff0050c1bad5d7ef9b7121641e002c95d5ef83 op_cert_counter: 11