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 8288657 Details
Epoch: 388 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 82530842 epoch_slot_no: 278042 block_no: 8288480 slot_leader_id: 4556014 size: 50778 time: 2023-01-19 02:58:53 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xec906e0038baa0f513fb19c6ac8f8dd38af7cdda1660c438f66f9ae345d8ba59Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1elepmm7z2v8strsztf4wsfldmzfetskdn73al09qnjeuhtvps4ss8c57cq op_cert: \xca771e9f7da2af2ba87318af2f8ec33e80f9aab4dcddb627e0ad85ce3119f84f op_cert_counter: 16