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 8261699 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 81980116 epoch_slot_no: 159316 block_no: 8261522 slot_leader_id: 4558946 size: 24973 time: 2023-01-12 18:00:07 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x43782e7a6e551e4289a01fb3e4c57e9b1232059003b0efdbaad490fb2e45fcbfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pj8n7cv07gn4s83vnxgnh3l4m0uqunud2hfmn6d203v6gjvn6jfq9yanjy op_cert: \x98010ba25ab5bd18ff6181b1821ddd1d1ef2fc8a356252a9f854fff920f3d4d1 op_cert_counter: 11