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 494658 Details
Epoch: 22 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 494694 epoch_slot_no: 19494 block_no: 494634 slot_leader_id: 13 size: 2098 time: 2018-01-16 10:02:51 proto_major: 0 proto_minor: 1 hash: \xa6a7c650f380a109519e00e927bd3ad3f81a746a3fffc5c11bacd6f347daca9eBlock Operator
vrf_key: op_cert: op_cert_counter: