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 3496259 Details
Epoch: 161 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 3498153 epoch_slot_no: 20553 block_no: 3496096 slot_leader_id: 3 size: 2693 time: 2019-12-12 15:55:51 proto_major: 0 proto_minor: 2 hash: \xae8171ba899ccfac2da4435c9c1465f0fc626f7b60ad0e0ee114452278ff688dBlock Operator
vrf_key: op_cert: op_cert_counter: