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 8268217 Details
Epoch: 387 Number of transactions in block: 25 slot_no: 82114241 epoch_slot_no: 293441 block_no: 8268040 slot_leader_id: 5386156 size: 43417 time: 2023-01-14 07:15:32 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa2f8a9378d959720f471ce676f2024c3e8f03dd6ae977b12836e0f238bf9dcfaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lzn59e98dr57vxem3jq5u7mpenlznjhw3y420tfjcwf4mmtgr27q3708u0 op_cert: \x3fb50811af2cdceb491b9e33d07a1305e5b19c78dee00a345fa75c3675eea7ed op_cert_counter: 9