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 8261788 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 81981958 epoch_slot_no: 161158 block_no: 8261611 slot_leader_id: 4577284 size: 43381 time: 2023-01-12 18:30:49 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x11fb5d3ab7da7643a2202269ae016a405cd9a25d07271918ed5bbcd93391031aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fry5jp72cm57asmqp5hv9rsk2twlnxfx5mlqmc2thlp22f4ma2zs4gz2f4 op_cert: \xc437b5b19dfad5c29836d06665373d6b400a25807ba0003c37a0b0e8c1ad90c4 op_cert_counter: 61