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 8973941 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 96646070 epoch_slot_no: 137270 block_no: 8973764 slot_leader_id: 4560858 size: 86682 time: 2023-07-01 11:52:41 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x84509ff7b9126927c11205d692859a384b1d84dd801dddc528ebe8429c77ad18Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mrwwxpf2pdsu4es46gu7rjy82fntc0538p8a7vuhrmu2ddxn68kqstj6y3 op_cert: \xa2ffb1bdf3d759a9d61555799ec0d0fd704f3c6f916742f515d23d04937ff100 op_cert_counter: 12