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 8971496 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 96596637 epoch_slot_no: 87837 block_no: 8971319 slot_leader_id: 4662751 size: 1358 time: 2023-06-30 22:08:48 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x407cba5753b365bb0f80b50355b8adb4d830bfd83d4b9af5450f294de9bc79e5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wytjcwdhdzscs33j6qzp9vtq4z9eg7s335x2r6n0mx6cskk9m76qkkk3j2 op_cert: \x2ee8fa91dba0d871e4c56e4c1599959305f2741fecd356c789f68fd5357a6185 op_cert_counter: 12