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 4542686 Details
Epoch: 210 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 5534360 epoch_slot_no: 177560 block_no: 4542509 slot_leader_id: 4490689 size: 3521 time: 2020-08-10 23:04:11 proto_major: 2 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4c1575c741d638fc7ff28e85cdc9b69eac4e1a07b99b820e56067dbc60a5acdaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nsd60hkw7uahngavcnq9g95tt2ewh477cwtmtdtnxk70g0cpdfxqknqup3 op_cert: \x452ff31b02a1c2d21c981c56fade107a0c5f8ecf7c89c992d39797344adb558e op_cert_counter: 0