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 8266401 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 24 slot_no: 82077031 epoch_slot_no: 256231 block_no: 8266224 slot_leader_id: 5150339 size: 40213 time: 2023-01-13 20:55:22 proto_major: 7 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9dc716f7205261f13fa44a58cfe2bf0c65b414ab7ae651f5eafaab1918bdd27eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12u53fs72qflkaellznc7f3grwxzejy5vlkl0jwnesfsnrce97cuq7gl5e6 op_cert: \xaca66e6e54757fb1617074b62f3f4a80ce32aabcf83b1fab44bc2f9d356aa196 op_cert_counter: 8