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 8972529 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 96617362 epoch_slot_no: 108562 block_no: 8972352 slot_leader_id: 4557275 size: 49886 time: 2023-07-01 03:54:13 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc1642aa7e237952f3549275079ba2fcc68ceb2ea97fe21d7f6b9948efcac5308Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17v5w0aak280g633jdkce0wl8ev89cp9uk5rqca6p769lj8nps56q6t2z9t op_cert: \x0234d15daecdfb83e537ba236edcb4892ffaf09a3be5f47717029bdd5e85d9ca op_cert_counter: 16