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 8996801 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 97121013 epoch_slot_no: 180213 block_no: 8996624 slot_leader_id: 6538171 size: 16673 time: 2023-07-06 23:48:24 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xfa61efc1504928ca52143219e3401eb48f5370de04342cdff9e64fc4011f608bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18f5xg9y7dmfu8ep0cvscwtldqtjk5m8fud48de0z3kdgqdh0f2tqfyjjr9 op_cert: \xf4b7f0b791f4afffcbf157d4f1c6f5bb5509277b04f50f11acd7fbcbb65f7347 op_cert_counter: 11