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 8278257 Details
Epoch: 388 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 82319184 epoch_slot_no: 66384 block_no: 8278080 slot_leader_id: 4621417 size: 51451 time: 2023-01-16 16:11:15 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2c198c18bf2c9b33a7574110fb6ef2164a8a1396efa05db635573743fb0d7fd5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vcta5kjly6wwh8t45zwcd2y5qqrlsw8efllgfcapqzckwqquzgxs2tfh8q op_cert: \x2e5bd658438b83c17acc5a336d66b6b6808784b9136994bc2747154a13ea0a24 op_cert_counter: 12