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 8996036 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 97105429 epoch_slot_no: 164629 block_no: 8995859 slot_leader_id: 4572864 size: 83394 time: 2023-07-06 19:28:40 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf31276494ea07d015880c51d33d761e8b8a19e750f9f97e0419db726666fdebaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dvumtjl4aw02v0wscezwtq93m47er2zktlwvha2s20fcrd9hdr3q2zsxy6 op_cert: \x918cc04afa013fafef1ae19c6f378ef286fedc659a3010560f4b2b63800ec751 op_cert_counter: 13