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 9686357 Details
Epoch: 455 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 111271711 epoch_slot_no: 74911 block_no: 9686180 slot_leader_id: 5979776 size: 72120 time: 2023-12-17 18:33:22 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x224738f90f4f8b11d33eb73062f062865df5a86375522bccc57a71c0f0aee131Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1l3u2q23jwpwlnky3yvm76su70xq06k2xtxyz37kgw09duhr2ex5qac0fjf op_cert: \xec1fca9d020291170956d5763f8b56acf0b62889423904135ae385d26d4035f2 op_cert_counter: 11