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 8996455 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 97113840 epoch_slot_no: 173040 block_no: 8996278 slot_leader_id: 6574510 size: 50599 time: 2023-07-06 21:48:51 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x048052ed4ba43fe2f6a24b9b59fd543f9201f290d795dadfafa9c2af440ecf97Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16uujxtr48w5e83rwc5vtwlhnqk7mx0u4ctk0v6u6nj3m8wmey7tsk4qswm op_cert: \x7ceed08f704f9557d2ee3c312b0f970e6e612f43f78db940574c44e5490444f2 op_cert_counter: 7