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 8972523 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 96617244 epoch_slot_no: 108444 block_no: 8972346 slot_leader_id: 5495683 size: 65654 time: 2023-07-01 03:52:15 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x469626acb390aad895330c7176c41c200dd80432cd92cdfdc45a0e549c70be2dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16rypntlhatkcnyrr2w99jmasvnzh9p7utsc6hjc2ezwavqquw79stjmj5a op_cert: \xdefb7253f62c26cf8ed2f939f0be6ed52b1d7ef5396b902108861d05dc760234 op_cert_counter: 9