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 9686904 Details
Epoch: 455 Number of transactions in block: 25 slot_no: 111283165 epoch_slot_no: 86365 block_no: 9686727 slot_leader_id: 8661053 size: 85177 time: 2023-12-17 21:44:16 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x649a7294cd76d0ac07dc61173764bfb0eef721b43b29d4b5b4ef0c52990f84c0Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1r9mxqeug679kcw9qqh07g06tm4mh3vx3xrmye765c2dlw78kug8qk6rtu5 op_cert: \x87626d17324d9752a9b2aac2b8720d21019b6c719f150ab84420ef142a2670a4 op_cert_counter: 3