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 9172246 Details
Epoch: 430 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 100722671 epoch_slot_no: 325871 block_no: 9172069 slot_leader_id: 4635124 size: 43039 time: 2023-08-17 16:16:02 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe86f9c9156253cb4409d6a922af1c4b8518ffbceb6cb6f2d4aaa0806f0e79494Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18wylyatfcj0nresevgkqq258r2qsjlc8fgq32p768wssvf4xynkql6cka0 op_cert: \x4e3e5997146ce0f2368459280f9cc79285267de50ea837ee23e4e916478402ef op_cert_counter: 18