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 8986957 Details
Epoch: 421 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 96916736 epoch_slot_no: 407936 block_no: 8986780 slot_leader_id: 4974801 size: 26416 time: 2023-07-04 15:03:47 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x61557d559b9b82dbdcfddbcc8e24dd9077a11fbc2230cb6f47166427c12d58a6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fgsrj2aj8nhnwa7ur606nvr3nmyznd9c0j0y99g5rhahceurcvgqjtksw3 op_cert: \xa77296a34eb6964438755fda5a7cc1e4c4f3e09b6b45f602df85334ac9908c51 op_cert_counter: 13