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 4686697 Details
Epoch: 217 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 8444142 epoch_slot_no: 63342 block_no: 4686520 slot_leader_id: 4490692 size: 681 time: 2020-09-13 15:20:33 proto_major: 2 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf90c5d87ba943cdaf6d726e849a8357c301a87eda1e2954a702f3e4fbd9d8225Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dvwps7slwsmaq70yzsctd20u0v5mym5te8zxw2892yafxp8jyfhsvjjnqh op_cert: \xaea4845de01244f05382f7d57988cfb8785d7d8d4a874b8dfca3f897ed537618 op_cert_counter: 0