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 4685421 Details
Epoch: 217 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 8417393 epoch_slot_no: 36593 block_no: 4685244 slot_leader_id: 4556210 size: 2780 time: 2020-09-13 07:54:44 proto_major: 2 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x168e1d0f210d0982b47065991455ec7706cf796ac7ed439909a45442f030d3edBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wf2k6lhujezqcfe00l6zetxpnmh9n6mwhpmhm0dvfh3fxgmdnrfqkms9ty op_cert: \x1f738507b072ba00ce428a2fa42b86b011a5a372c1abe28d5a3a2b188b1ad22b op_cert_counter: 1