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 8978523 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 96740877 epoch_slot_no: 232077 block_no: 8978346 slot_leader_id: 6596314 size: 32940 time: 2023-07-02 14:12:48 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa6f0ab09f423ac101a6e0b2e47f291f4ba4ee86f63cf133846981fea8dd36b02Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ykzznhc097stfxzqs3udw52rduy6lcvqa7mtwz83j5gf4dkskhus2753u6 op_cert: \x6b9488533f6e5a7873edb7308a3ee82ff2a955ccc152ee432b8e213a20524826 op_cert_counter: 6