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 8278509 Details
Epoch: 388 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 82324502 epoch_slot_no: 71702 block_no: 8278332 slot_leader_id: 4558367 size: 45450 time: 2023-01-16 17:39:53 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x508925d67799d1e9c0eb39ae966b46347560cbc1a39b2f0bfe3abb53bdf3b2c4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nkf2z3s4sm00xtme6n7yxwdaye0dhwpz8zptyh22u9ex4pnugzmsulqnd6 op_cert: \x5af4fe31dc16314c19a77838bd8a9a6b354792d7cf6a372b40065bbd91aa6547 op_cert_counter: 13