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 8996357 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 97112060 epoch_slot_no: 171260 block_no: 8996180 slot_leader_id: 4562285 size: 81008 time: 2023-07-06 21:19:11 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x08aac798355502074251dd9b330d8a89bf6b0ef7fdf7adce5a59c12256557699Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vxkyne4ftwjz4vlla756mlfqrmzwx35mkhk7d993njzmceksfp2q3kp8d4 op_cert: \x6b13c4c89e0d9e9cd6e481f38602bcb6d45b00c8977a01e2d7aa94661566bd8e op_cert_counter: 17