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 8998442 Details
Epoch: 422 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 97154648 epoch_slot_no: 213848 block_no: 8998265 slot_leader_id: 8590916 size: 8392 time: 2023-07-07 09:08:59 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xaca5fbd05134660a3825dbb43a483fac5b762e9f1a602f60212efd583dcc8cd6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1e48hddhrl45ekwxgkfspg4d6g5ktdhl6w96g7e9endalzg093nnql4qzd4 op_cert: \x7c4c7b198be7c2d7c8f2d814f819dc1c181fd35cd4d52441af23627b7da40be9 op_cert_counter: 2