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 8996401 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 97112867 epoch_slot_no: 172067 block_no: 8996224 slot_leader_id: 4565547 size: 83057 time: 2023-07-06 21:32:38 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1886c1e816c0aff84734b37bb7d4cfe1a9c26c2f206d3e4fdc3dfa83b245712cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1l25tkz3ste3dll2daknrwl450uf329533esq9dppuen38aqkualqx0kj9v op_cert: \xb1750f8f97af6650f907f861a2dad99a972e182c9aa20509c6b1b4f465ffc4b9 op_cert_counter: 14