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 4686717 Details
Epoch: 217 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 8444556 epoch_slot_no: 63756 block_no: 4686540 slot_leader_id: 4555611 size: 335 time: 2020-09-13 15:27:27 proto_major: 2 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x617baa58ddd40c541178d52a4976778081dbe8e50a5d3bd8828b86c03a33fd4aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1g4szjxfzun99644w6xyx0855jzfnxp7ch3cz55d4uakl66xaw7hqh84zte op_cert: \x55e97e771f11ceab24e3a86836425b3e08838592c62197a562a9196f8c161643 op_cert_counter: 3