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 8973609 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 32 slot_no: 96638989 epoch_slot_no: 130189 block_no: 8973432 slot_leader_id: 7048039 size: 41339 time: 2023-07-01 09:54:40 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5a8e14019895513ba5ae8ed0212311ee953a4580fcf37fcc5617d811d4e21ab2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk19wjy5a6y8haz078qvnkgc366pmqnmvpva5a3mh0dxk0e97md667qyhecz2 op_cert: \x4f7e9a8ff7d347ee2a7dac3238baf0af0af14d8421313c8a9a05e1ef04f6a3df op_cert_counter: 1659973407