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 8996672 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 97118463 epoch_slot_no: 177663 block_no: 8996495 slot_leader_id: 4565763 size: 17437 time: 2023-07-06 23:05:54 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x440edcbad59dd672c557ee6146d5048b5358bdac4e27ac8a0b6294d206888675Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1d9k2lfgxss8ccrscemg4z52gmtg9mvdrvmqdyweqzdyhzmaugk3q3jmg2z op_cert: \x848288102232146a37c8106ac56efde3ba39076b9bed1a1fc8b6c96b3dfd611c op_cert_counter: 16