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 8972811 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 96622791 epoch_slot_no: 113991 block_no: 8972634 slot_leader_id: 7048996 size: 29579 time: 2023-07-01 05:24:42 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x08b685e569093d9bce33e6fa4a034a4286b1922f8d30e07d1bb7c2ad42a73ffdBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1w6j0zv7ls8a8luddxe8vunyky9mkyq6j35cc5jtxxtln046kjfls4rsac3 op_cert: \x4e15456c92b5efb0b7f6fcfd00950787a0df7210ca815512af5cd20c616d350f op_cert_counter: 6