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 8973577 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 96638520 epoch_slot_no: 129720 block_no: 8973400 slot_leader_id: 6284437 size: 45472 time: 2023-07-01 09:46:51 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x21ece3f5a952e6e0e098c876aa703a56b604a41bc8b700e5a04173de3e838369Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1l9upellrprstwce0vwq98sm037nwf95zc9hep9tw0uqqq4xndpfsvp4e90 op_cert: \x087102782b5915be73cb0cb5bfb7082c7eba40183954c60b17980a4cbbdd91a7 op_cert_counter: 8