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 9697989 Details
Epoch: 455 Number of transactions in block: 23 slot_no: 111508013 epoch_slot_no: 311213 block_no: 9697812 slot_leader_id: 6536968 size: 50497 time: 2023-12-20 12:11:44 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdcb1137031122054b9c72a0c2854aa5b5861d1d544057e456568ea976cdd8bb9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk19xg6t6hnvvr02z5wsq5mgkcdwqyfx0wrvxqewn5swhckwdaflfxsa5tan4 op_cert: \x9ecda4c84265f3743451bae12a01ca74373b1f85901237bb9480278658a9f590 op_cert_counter: 7