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 8996709 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 31 slot_no: 97119171 epoch_slot_no: 178371 block_no: 8996532 slot_leader_id: 4633520 size: 81758 time: 2023-07-06 23:17:42 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x39cd8f61a6bb0f81aba190d843b78e624f8b2d7453f6f380e06d37ea39ce8ffdBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qtfnpacu3kmr92tyfztcswj44ee0pav0h47kmw7ylqh65r3lf5js7ut334 op_cert: \x288170c899d1a75b3f6cd2edb7b0d57918d0d9ba1651308710c4f3deaabf0148 op_cert_counter: 16