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 8973684 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 96640613 epoch_slot_no: 131813 block_no: 8973507 slot_leader_id: 6596314 size: 50439 time: 2023-07-01 10:21:44 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x63b707bf73bcb3b5eaf8313d21097bb26cd9197747959e3afb8c7d63fe6e2457Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ykzznhc097stfxzqs3udw52rduy6lcvqa7mtwz83j5gf4dkskhus2753u6 op_cert: \x6b9488533f6e5a7873edb7308a3ee82ff2a955ccc152ee432b8e213a20524826 op_cert_counter: 6