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 8988717 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 33 slot_no: 96952920 epoch_slot_no: 12120 block_no: 8988540 slot_leader_id: 4558271 size: 67766 time: 2023-07-05 01:06:51 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc2a3dfa3b41e14e1071afc1328b9b90c243790f354a4d2e97f724ee2009a6efbBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fn9xu98lfxkgtekf96jwwthjep8malux73nppnjuzrafrz93e58staxe85 op_cert: \xcfa0fb33e1b26bd1d7d90b3ad067a843fc4847ac72b13cd706acbcc323306cda op_cert_counter: 14