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 9172538 Details
Epoch: 430 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 100728385 epoch_slot_no: 331585 block_no: 9172361 slot_leader_id: 4570972 size: 17736 time: 2023-08-17 17:51:16 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x78388eede874fdbf9ff11f6e2116d210b8b1a831e1ddb4f574e93f82d9cc9d7eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17h2w9n2e7nvwjexlykmkvhhq2f95vrxjxc2kxqwxp93u5jhs58wsrj0328 op_cert: \xaba3d6a8e64432dfba5c00bfe3373cd9df786e9641a31dccf701fb9c21a7b64e op_cert_counter: 17