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 9042498 Details
Epoch: 424 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 98061716 epoch_slot_no: 256916 block_no: 9042321 slot_leader_id: 7903459 size: 45258 time: 2023-07-17 21:06:47 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x26365f8763130f42437ddbace2fc71d2a946b40efd81cf4633c1845bea25c1f9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1z7jkgvsrrxj34y6w87qgqnuy5r2yennekn5pqzza0k7g2ux6mj3s3c5th5 op_cert: \xa85bb397f41cb2ce75ad0d9a598572ccb12aca81893e88ca746f80eba6329dc5 op_cert_counter: 4