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 8996723 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 23 slot_no: 97119441 epoch_slot_no: 178641 block_no: 8996546 slot_leader_id: 5045242 size: 87342 time: 2023-07-06 23:22:12 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x81545b23eb749d2f8130b0841c71b44330db5823672a3f7bfe0bec6f40bfd062Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16u9vnslzgy03650yjltyft60mlschgp96zdd4np8ylkf5a8ugfrq8cq5dl op_cert: \xd724cba29da1275e7f66513d26829a9e62dfbfbc4c1bc5351a889480f2e372cc op_cert_counter: 13