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 9698734 Details
Epoch: 455 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 111523460 epoch_slot_no: 326660 block_no: 9698557 slot_leader_id: 4579330 size: 83703 time: 2023-12-20 16:29:11 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3c5e568ac0db186a4b1eb26b5f1a35007ffd999ca4ec5afe8b83161b1c6afc10Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17hff333krucx82wjdhnwnfvusg8p4zn22lwmf2pmd2e5mghu52hqvpf8qj op_cert: \xf827bc5031975243305c0e82268635202036b8e8e24ff8a150b961e91238b2f1 op_cert_counter: 14