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 9874142 Details
Epoch: 464 Number of transactions in block: 30 slot_no: 115149337 epoch_slot_no: 64537 block_no: 9873965 slot_leader_id: 8228996 size: 81341 time: 2024-01-31 15:40:28 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xab3cf7b4630eecdef2166a6ea12c1341f386fba87f8c6ef9d216e1cbccc2ee4eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1xeqf8ykm9mvygvztsuuyddgjtu950vjpjqf848q8gwgc2usm0unqfkv6p5 op_cert: \xdcabecc5d83c143a20a77caf9176ab8eea70f9f469c8c809ecaca66ca6eafef9 op_cert_counter: 5