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 4712542 Details
Epoch: 218 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 8985940 epoch_slot_no: 173140 block_no: 4712365 slot_leader_id: 4556807 size: 402 time: 2020-09-19 21:50:31 proto_major: 2 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcf8ee7d7c565b9476db7e7ede4a5c24204a6220a96d8b0f64b6e01e3f9706b9eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk19w0w2ex7qf8yd4kvvz02fxlhst537y89x9us2gpx6jn4h6rlvj3qxqqeu9 op_cert: \x512b83224aadf5a79e6b8160e3ed0a6046d13545207225ab73b204f7929243a1 op_cert_counter: 0