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 8997530 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 97136516 epoch_slot_no: 195716 block_no: 8997353 slot_leader_id: 4566298 size: 17170 time: 2023-07-07 04:06:47 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2f94532fa8e5a4bb21efb9af209ba1c1ffeffe356a74aaefb803ae2178616aa2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18jwugcagrtfvn0efq9pgpzt327vnqkwstxpqq84q3ndsjqu559lq9u8yv5 op_cert: \x5023a3e2d5fda75a82519b5c39fc275328b722e0b87a9a271f85da899bdfd174 op_cert_counter: 14