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 9697608 Details
Epoch: 455 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 111500801 epoch_slot_no: 304001 block_no: 9697431 slot_leader_id: 4555571 size: 79049 time: 2023-12-20 10:11:32 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xda6b3da0554bcf1a804739d567edbca74a6bd5719ea538d3c78af89b79b58981Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk168lpf4j8uqtt9c7wj7hq8ljhw8uha4lxr65sxt7n4p90lrd2k0esqs88gp op_cert: \x2f4460bf4b02a41cbc729f812bcdd8beec7c585699354ef82406749610c64194 op_cert_counter: 18