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 9871657 Details
Epoch: 464 Number of transactions in block: 24 slot_no: 115097701 epoch_slot_no: 12901 block_no: 9871480 slot_leader_id: 4595854 size: 60563 time: 2024-01-31 01:19:52 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x844239e8a5008e5978fd2a33ac8c494746c3495aeacba68f19a7ad44bfa73bd3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1n4ml366004vvzm25cutqk0x2jpftcxtf29kdmazvgzueal5wztyslf05tq op_cert: \xaa106756dd998920d110a84ec78b3c329779a1a60f0405ac05e51c4ece10eb4e op_cert_counter: 16