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 8261677 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 81979821 epoch_slot_no: 159021 block_no: 8261500 slot_leader_id: 7046900 size: 18347 time: 2023-01-12 17:55:12 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdfd4ab9e5963d02fb819ecdb1d89bf8b3a323a4233f73527919edd47532ea6f4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk197w95j9alkwt8l4g7xkccknhn4pqwx65c5saxnn5ej3cpmps72msgpw69d op_cert: \x9449f7a8439f200806419747303779b5a3e89f181e512ce643463566c0e04966 op_cert_counter: 1659973007