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 8972638 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 96619608 epoch_slot_no: 110808 block_no: 8972461 slot_leader_id: 5152259 size: 62143 time: 2023-07-01 04:31:39 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2bee3537f8255882e6726aeb3967b8380be193bfaafc59f4f865edfb1366a2a3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1y78shuvly24p9wdhu9wljt7yyyh9ddfgcf3aljgqy52s5rmgqjlsyhzch6 op_cert: \xc0e554ee65b5c45d052daa6d3289bbec4d81db8d48122ea73571e352f60d50f7 op_cert_counter: 16