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 9686408 Details
Epoch: 455 Number of transactions in block: 46 slot_no: 111272830 epoch_slot_no: 76030 block_no: 9686231 slot_leader_id: 6782000 size: 87939 time: 2023-12-17 18:52:01 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbf5354109e17829fde32784a71e6880aa099ef3b0ebf74b29eea87315ca5d66eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1l3tv8yjsxqz66cprwwk97w8jucc8m9sedkxjmthuve20v40zkvusj7juz5 op_cert: \x81acba5aa37aa74c15a9509e87d7fe919c7bbe0864ca7b567502f7f9671605e5 op_cert_counter: 10