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 8974398 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 96655834 epoch_slot_no: 147034 block_no: 8974221 slot_leader_id: 5555137 size: 25958 time: 2023-07-01 14:35:25 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x13d37ee58d6eefad562b73cba65ed9c03ec93c4c7a69c214c9b412b831d7ff94Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1x4gcag7r4n0pld5qdd38etqqsmfsjp5sehughrrg7ew7kesd67zs9va90y op_cert: \xa434b93bc679054a9e325c2d752e12c492fde59d14a2f2ea1809f3542b240a35 op_cert_counter: 9