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 8968714 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 96538612 epoch_slot_no: 29812 block_no: 8968537 slot_leader_id: 5665391 size: 11434 time: 2023-06-30 06:01:43 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x407fda90572e6585ecc0c86702039a4ffd0bff56d8e4846cf149846a88036e88Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1j0l7lqkn3m2y3r74kuzm93cacwt32lxk3n2xwncxvhj4upxmy2jqeeqlr0 op_cert: \xf156629823a1dfbbf0b3da8b803853de0ad4c4c2e626a79b2a6c6ff781a5a1b1 op_cert_counter: 12