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 8973217 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 96631122 epoch_slot_no: 122322 block_no: 8973040 slot_leader_id: 4556157 size: 14358 time: 2023-07-01 07:43:33 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2ca2de731863c7d112bd160a4dbcbdd4afc163f2b39feda80a0be89eaf72b6e6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk14sh5zmrke03tmsucrwuz5r0e7ehgva2q5dxq8e7wxqe3af2f7ezq8e47h6 op_cert: \x5c74cb66702c31e6e9583d005dfb63b2cd560a2c328cd034c88bbaf5b0a8a783 op_cert_counter: 16