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 8973649 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 96639778 epoch_slot_no: 130978 block_no: 8973472 slot_leader_id: 4580757 size: 79161 time: 2023-07-01 10:07:49 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbf8662983f616570ed44363aa3bbe41f3b0890943246acc108a00748e9b925b5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1st3ysz45pektlvnsxj3s8454x5m8l2jqxjslkcqjk0zuu66l3qfql2m7rv op_cert: \x2c282b1af146705dbd35b7b8e100e2adda560e56a3412787ca7df214e444c80b op_cert_counter: 13