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 8996746 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 97119926 epoch_slot_no: 179126 block_no: 8996569 slot_leader_id: 4895123 size: 85142 time: 2023-07-06 23:30:17 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcbec51e57cf2d5abbb4445aa128a3caf5934459666450a34d320a9fdf0fd60d6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12tf79gtnvp9vt3lavuqwhh3pnqkfaqu6djj6fkem8fuv77mjchaqgcatz7 op_cert: \x7cfeff71e4a4607fea5c4357d224764ad727a6da91e4510dc16f3aa6891d4dba op_cert_counter: 12