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 8278620 Details
Epoch: 388 Number of transactions in block: 32 slot_no: 82326859 epoch_slot_no: 74059 block_no: 8278443 slot_leader_id: 7005759 size: 69573 time: 2023-01-16 18:19:10 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf9cd4d96063aea1f7b0534d70fcaeba82a1796e444ec55e9923acd1045fd1ca9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1t0syd45jwwwrfw6jpmc9668nqxmm4lq4wmjcfyqp2ljkr4z8yacq60w88g op_cert: \xb490bdc512daefa5c5b13016260e52ca584660ae5356f28a653ea343c5f7d2f9 op_cert_counter: 4