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 9697378 Details
Epoch: 455 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 111496352 epoch_slot_no: 299552 block_no: 9697201 slot_leader_id: 4557143 size: 30279 time: 2023-12-20 08:57:23 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcecb3ea296350266e739f54301bf4d5db681f8b4521e5a9be9be1c86e3319f6eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk10hj5paw809p7hv482x8nkdplpjdnt8kz8hnvef7798638au89lxqcuw7l7 op_cert: \x5deeafc2cd804bb2f513ee07ac5ca8a269fb644a7e40cfdfdd6b324ce069caca op_cert_counter: 28