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 8972649 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 42 slot_no: 96619952 epoch_slot_no: 111152 block_no: 8972472 slot_leader_id: 4628466 size: 74016 time: 2023-07-01 04:37:23 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb0377ff0fe897e3cb710ffb5460a13badc15cc2eab138cbcd25312a4df9f00eeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tuz705hn0jm6yqjgkr9hqxxskmwlfthnyylztncycdgqmfdwrvysfq62y2 op_cert: \x5e0bec58e2e3a1101281c6ae4918888d58f9c77dac128e6381589ea9f237bc98 op_cert_counter: 14