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 9686298 Details
Epoch: 455 Number of transactions in block: 44 slot_no: 111270413 epoch_slot_no: 73613 block_no: 9686121 slot_leader_id: 4555569 size: 88114 time: 2023-12-17 18:11:44 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8990eae397e5c46a01d18e17a482199cad21bbf69387a3b0b7dbac2384efec45Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1c49e80jptd8pkmgrj8g3xex3rfd0xw0xwp88c3fpz9jjcmfu7xtswwzll8 op_cert: \x19cafd50827fd7cd46b46389eb8cbaa12bbd8727ad94f00b736b3c88f901d39e op_cert_counter: 19