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 9697401 Details
Epoch: 455 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 111496717 epoch_slot_no: 299917 block_no: 9697224 slot_leader_id: 4580757 size: 55176 time: 2023-12-20 09:03:28 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x18007496bab682a9b842d316ab5f4f6f2fbcd77fdee7cedf269e17c4cb1eb0a4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1st3ysz45pektlvnsxj3s8454x5m8l2jqxjslkcqjk0zuu66l3qfql2m7rv op_cert: \xe0074ab55e9875c414270cdff2db0f6e373fc9dd3ab9aa0768cf3963d47340f5 op_cert_counter: 15