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 8973662 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 96639989 epoch_slot_no: 131189 block_no: 8973485 slot_leader_id: 4580757 size: 37455 time: 2023-07-01 10:11:20 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x424e6bb6a07cb3f50191eb94a79fa586d79ddd9a22986eb66441e3151952bf10Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1st3ysz45pektlvnsxj3s8454x5m8l2jqxjslkcqjk0zuu66l3qfql2m7rv op_cert: \x2c282b1af146705dbd35b7b8e100e2adda560e56a3412787ca7df214e444c80b op_cert_counter: 13