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 8996374 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 97112400 epoch_slot_no: 171600 block_no: 8996197 slot_leader_id: 4560329 size: 77287 time: 2023-07-06 21:24:51 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x05b5ef59ab9dbf3f4073ccb235f09f8b351522074cdafe382ec576ca33fd5f49Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1rcczqvh08687crmnemj7ykr8t5nhygv97uhjafn2wtkvhm43uc8qm8z782 op_cert: \x555619e0c525564accdffd12cfe10677be81edb676e5f2549bf23169bf46c424 op_cert_counter: 15