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 8261874 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 60 slot_no: 81983608 epoch_slot_no: 162808 block_no: 8261697 slot_leader_id: 5461687 size: 88744 time: 2023-01-12 18:58:19 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb549758e4a2d37c8aafbe21fedb04dacb9ea64f9ef3138bdc8558b33b7f615a1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pq6pgh9hztgm3enuahyt6m5nkwn87uw9thfevpwaqwh8jgzwj4ks5su272 op_cert: \x119455d1a31f4cb07d5cdbc2bf2017f1232fc666523aabe61ff7e84b96f76e27 op_cert_counter: 10