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 8261863 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 51 slot_no: 81983328 epoch_slot_no: 162528 block_no: 8261686 slot_leader_id: 4567618 size: 87120 time: 2023-01-12 18:53:39 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf372f1db45ad8f7c86207e45ef4ec7c593b660919faa0ae0a5d081d7aca88f3aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16jyndrw736k8g9xmq7yumxp43fpv2g7h96vghzd982zs26keymwquf2vf9 op_cert: \x3f7f941840db123f7ce4133975e097947400a906297ccdcc04fdc8f5feae72e4 op_cert_counter: 10