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 8974058 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 96648363 epoch_slot_no: 139563 block_no: 8973881 slot_leader_id: 4572864 size: 28803 time: 2023-07-01 12:30:54 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa181f60881698bc5ec0ca01ce4df95c7938804af312ea450751169e4d68dbce7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dvumtjl4aw02v0wscezwtq93m47er2zktlwvha2s20fcrd9hdr3q2zsxy6 op_cert: \x918cc04afa013fafef1ae19c6f378ef286fedc659a3010560f4b2b63800ec751 op_cert_counter: 13