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 4973778 Details
Epoch: 230 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 14278524 epoch_slot_no: 281724 block_no: 4973601 slot_leader_id: 4556807 size: 8652 time: 2020-11-20 04:00:15 proto_major: 2 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4499614e980c8c7dc341d9f67190ce923bc4a3d5b98d0e92a0b5e29a61b8bd34Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk19w0w2ex7qf8yd4kvvz02fxlhst537y89x9us2gpx6jn4h6rlvj3qxqqeu9 op_cert: \xcc4f5e868d4f1f8eeedc07f8279643b1005b03aa09b6ce6621066c190860a6a8 op_cert_counter: 1