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 9742678 Details
Epoch: 457 Number of transactions in block: 32 slot_no: 112421721 epoch_slot_no: 360921 block_no: 9742501 slot_leader_id: 8718107 size: 77905 time: 2023-12-31 02:00:12 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1ee8bd2254da907cfe9230cc2d4cfaa01ab257762c3e4b5afbbf91551ca7026eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pl3r026rr4d7hhdwn585405c3kdttgqk3e8cf3q3fhf4wt40qy3qu5hf36 op_cert: \xf21f2388b413efba56b2cd20d94d025b53e9b091d3db3698940319379cafcb36 op_cert_counter: 3