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 9742217 Details
Epoch: 457 Number of transactions in block: 46 slot_no: 112411838 epoch_slot_no: 351038 block_no: 9742040 slot_leader_id: 4809597 size: 71973 time: 2023-12-30 23:15:29 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xea921aa7b4755638b5ceaf1984c8d741d9a22d78b96f46ffdffcec0f5ecc579fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tawdpfmgzkefrmg603n2cq047d5fj8cs0d4csce4xrxzzst444tsvwet66 op_cert: \x55ec103eb0cfc7cd260740738d45d865d902b794aa672fa3af3317b26ff1cb4c op_cert_counter: 15