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 9686562 Details
Epoch: 455 Number of transactions in block: 26 slot_no: 111276276 epoch_slot_no: 79476 block_no: 9686385 slot_leader_id: 8484595 size: 81564 time: 2023-12-17 19:49:27 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xaa518fe26f987efd7a06f42177ef2ed643c81e0842690653c235aae791482eeaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1q8tmx3rtp5k3k4q2vptjtcu7p56mrymwnsdyegfcmey4ju45mywqrwl8sd op_cert: \x1246bfaa1cf403f70f59a57fc495ae6079d70ce552bc06042ee3b92d58320133 op_cert_counter: 3