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 497302 Details
Epoch: 23 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 497340 epoch_slot_no: 540 block_no: 497277 slot_leader_id: 12 size: 1746 time: 2018-01-17 00:44:51 proto_major: 0 proto_minor: 1 hash: \x5aa10239336fb4cb51ed375c7c3166dea2770332044e67f200ee2b287f7c8d7aBlock Operator
vrf_key: op_cert: op_cert_counter: