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 8261840 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 55 slot_no: 81982897 epoch_slot_no: 162097 block_no: 8261663 slot_leader_id: 6538171 size: 87965 time: 2023-01-12 18:46:28 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x530fadb4c2cb02d9a526ce28fadd317eab246806966be7f6cd76e9b9d293ffc6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18f5xg9y7dmfu8ep0cvscwtldqtjk5m8fud48de0z3kdgqdh0f2tqfyjjr9 op_cert: \xafc9d1e67cc02728fc45466ff189a35994731d6df328cbc0127c716e33514508 op_cert_counter: 9