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 8973681 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 96640563 epoch_slot_no: 131763 block_no: 8973504 slot_leader_id: 4869078 size: 72093 time: 2023-07-01 10:20:54 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xca49d986ff697e52c9f5b33c7f8ab6b54ec56479f35d4099a5d94bd330fa1f1eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wtrryjjkch77gg8lpueyy3lqltdehrt3d56kgvtvtsculnexcvks44hjm9 op_cert: \xffb03d75a7e4e8932c8c8fd7bc559e3ad11d9146d2f9b447706c41e387db6c76 op_cert_counter: 14