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 9046172 Details
Epoch: 424 Number of transactions in block: 42 slot_no: 98136816 epoch_slot_no: 332016 block_no: 9045995 slot_leader_id: 4558711 size: 85670 time: 2023-07-18 17:58:27 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2a397c72e100a117f1d3879546709cb221040f34d97e66b2d1224542ae913850Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1xnpprrn77xe9as4a7cv5dehdr5ju6h06w87nn4rnfr2kr2dw3jyqpcy2r6 op_cert: \xafb9d4b6ce1b948f6472fd94d0b40040a0798a160368012c10be7f3b740fd98f op_cert_counter: 13