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 8996636 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 23 slot_no: 97117733 epoch_slot_no: 176933 block_no: 8996459 slot_leader_id: 8598889 size: 47207 time: 2023-07-06 22:53:44 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb13d4a56cd163921ca7f5f299fcb9bf0dbd9d52c2fe0241fe649976a0ec42d4aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tx99kz3ureuvcmgsdnmhyggq588uct4vngqw7nuz7ayngvkyts5sctza7s op_cert: \xa81a5db84a39b11aac53781da9746cf5db295d927d25b1273ba6c578fbfa7b47 op_cert_counter: 1