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 8972608 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 96619124 epoch_slot_no: 110324 block_no: 8972431 slot_leader_id: 5003808 size: 30167 time: 2023-07-01 04:23:35 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa78d3ddc0298fa5c2b1b44174793814e19daa426fdd12585d7fa5eea53d374ebBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk143s9r24ek68k3pchwj6ene5h5sq2nqek5gc8tkueych36h3g69aq8pergs op_cert: \x0f8b1517b1b3c5d61f3a708acb431a413dfcec8a9cc700128c408e39d57876b0 op_cert_counter: 14