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 8996916 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 40 slot_no: 97123306 epoch_slot_no: 182506 block_no: 8996739 slot_leader_id: 4588020 size: 85488 time: 2023-07-07 00:26:37 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd45b491ca29e053e1562fe7f9cd6d8bae4a270a596baf6707770fd62dbf0cefbBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1v38ah9nkpaw4799796l5ypvdyrusx8pedyktw4srzj3fc8ksa40sl0vmvd op_cert: \x149a8e158002d4f7fccb8541be2bf8b1d3b5de448e5d52ad0145376313201276 op_cert_counter: 23