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 8996318 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 34 slot_no: 97111217 epoch_slot_no: 170417 block_no: 8996141 slot_leader_id: 7581727 size: 88771 time: 2023-07-06 21:05:08 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3b6a5c319f211a36dc8116f97bffb7a2ed9530d374a3d5fca8773fbb1063766bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18stcjdcu588hsmyhcpjq98vqwmw9ry3gamvyldv6rdwv75gfxflq82dh27 op_cert: \x177f7fd0015070cd5d873ccffc16cf21652f5a9c47fe6d73964d20af45cc55b4 op_cert_counter: 4