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 9686747 Details
Epoch: 455 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 111280221 epoch_slot_no: 83421 block_no: 9686570 slot_leader_id: 9316668 size: 31518 time: 2023-12-17 20:55:12 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x73e2959962944d07eb72afdc3fa8b749aa72633dfe1892300a0c6da6889897f0Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hxvksw6u28xr0ypw4g70qtpvkgcrahducyq8pzsukljhadetmgwsc2l4f8 op_cert: \xb98f2e28087e480f6c2165e17476bf7d0141208c5ff27f49a33bde6623b5c113 op_cert_counter: 1