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 8971074 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 27 slot_no: 96587973 epoch_slot_no: 79173 block_no: 8970897 slot_leader_id: 4557401 size: 86987 time: 2023-06-30 19:44:24 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x173b50b875d026fbf4de53cdb8b2fe44dca4e32a6561b73c8c8ec89c36866f44Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1m3gs8np7hsw3lrcwrfgvl2c2dsmrdysdmnwlndpyu5x4mwqumpqsx8582a op_cert: \x1c1692c3053bcfb11523ce6a78ccba7fc1ded5f0e4ba89a572da6880489ba394 op_cert_counter: 19