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 8996421 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 26 slot_no: 97113329 epoch_slot_no: 172529 block_no: 8996244 slot_leader_id: 5495683 size: 84352 time: 2023-07-06 21:40:20 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdab14b69e1ab51cf302595b7cbc4ce2b51e979afd7a27464d0a2dc457b9a2dcbBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16rypntlhatkcnyrr2w99jmasvnzh9p7utsc6hjc2ezwavqquw79stjmj5a op_cert: \xdefb7253f62c26cf8ed2f939f0be6ed52b1d7ef5396b902108861d05dc760234 op_cert_counter: 9