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 8973098 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 96628693 epoch_slot_no: 119893 block_no: 8972921 slot_leader_id: 8404251 size: 88279 time: 2023-07-01 07:03:04 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2a2899057b781d5b584ab3ed6adcecd206a4a6c5711458200f8b312a064fbcccBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wn4cq98ah5j9jkty47538y0pc3phy9jjvqtkkdgkuup5qgnddsgqyr6h8t op_cert: \x64dcdb74414f45a3cea08fbb95d18afb90333e3be5147405a3f2d3574a969728 op_cert_counter: 2