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 8262516 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 43 slot_no: 81997413 epoch_slot_no: 176613 block_no: 8262339 slot_leader_id: 4555482 size: 87987 time: 2023-01-12 22:48:24 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x6b9ecb67a3bd7e8cfb75b98f237a3386167061c24a90dad01037305480ee6bb1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zkk728e2535f3rdgwj3vxf5ak6kjzcmzgwnzvcksh6ec4hvuf8gqyrgp7a op_cert: \xc1814b36e69f671bd84610f2d16fd73c5037538d881f88413433abfa2cce4ce8 op_cert_counter: 11