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 9042578 Details
Epoch: 424 Number of transactions in block: 31 slot_no: 98063420 epoch_slot_no: 258620 block_no: 9042401 slot_leader_id: 4559948 size: 56683 time: 2023-07-17 21:35:11 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xea1f537fb3c19f68ec5bc9f13a9dfaf9d9d6e642b98d646903c2adbe70df033cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17f6d6lhqs57df92c2ju3ymqmq5uqaxk7drxxr96mj4cz6s37300q9y3av8 op_cert: \x05051878bf04324ac33ffd77b1fa579d2f2995a71a93068fc2abfa8c60062b94 op_cert_counter: 15