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 8973495 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 45 slot_no: 96636668 epoch_slot_no: 127868 block_no: 8973318 slot_leader_id: 5707820 size: 88656 time: 2023-07-01 09:15:59 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xac1989ecc07f04cc28a889804cba57c05e1b2fa3b534c4ca14b51765e983f520Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1frnthuz2a86rn5sphe7akvxhu2czzve4yhr5cdjtvmjax3unx5zswkyxr6 op_cert: \x2954b72527008f0f2fd38c18570302398986f038e2c3dbdde55d92701def378a op_cert_counter: 10