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 8990721 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 23 slot_no: 96995943 epoch_slot_no: 55143 block_no: 8990544 slot_leader_id: 4572916 size: 48012 time: 2023-07-05 13:03:54 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2185853da1883404624dc1aa5965f2b9b16aec6d33a986a205356fe73e8bbdbaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sh946l2qfxu5q8xu7sw3xmp07d4ph764frje3qm0p2wy6pu08u2qxwxfqw op_cert: \x54663eb9052cb3dda0e746b8cf0b6baaec84483a6ecacc85dd90101f31441357 op_cert_counter: 23