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 8261662 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 81979649 epoch_slot_no: 158849 block_no: 8261485 slot_leader_id: 4589362 size: 26265 time: 2023-01-12 17:52:20 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdc25cfab02e6fce576e327ff9f9f667f0bffd85ee9cdd9df20868e5dcaf492b8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk14vcr7r0n6z8tzxvk8xuqagmngcyqg80vdp8m477awcjxfdc0fgysvl93s3 op_cert: \x5bf4d46560e973309fc77a924861690a5aee20ac0a4c3f1f46feaa600455bb57 op_cert_counter: 19