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 9696657 Details
Epoch: 455 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 111481721 epoch_slot_no: 284921 block_no: 9696480 slot_leader_id: 4974801 size: 51780 time: 2023-12-20 04:53:32 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x68bc562da8bdfa718291ff51b0367844be9c3ef0dbeeb32e8450ab3f8a6c2444Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fgsrj2aj8nhnwa7ur606nvr3nmyznd9c0j0y99g5rhahceurcvgqjtksw3 op_cert: \x0095270548c96e9eea6a6985e6de63632029ef0203de9935e311e2a79b0c7083 op_cert_counter: 15