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 8261859 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 44 slot_no: 81983284 epoch_slot_no: 162484 block_no: 8261682 slot_leader_id: 5492880 size: 88646 time: 2023-01-12 18:52:55 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdd07f8f0df6a408ad8e830cefd0fad444ea94aff72670c3adc83e73537955517Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fr7hqvevhatry93cjyhwn2u8wg8e4my3tcmj6z9e60sszxxk2l8st646k2 op_cert: \xfee512cbb4bdced35ff02071a1879915ecbed4e3f6a0088259b3b78d95a9d104 op_cert_counter: 10