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 497696 Details
Epoch: 23 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 497734 epoch_slot_no: 934 block_no: 497671 slot_leader_id: 12 size: 2099 time: 2018-01-17 02:56:11 proto_major: 0 proto_minor: 1 hash: \x876c195b3e20acf7d9fa502d959c6b8406aac4a895880caf196ef4964c8d949dBlock Operator
vrf_key: op_cert: op_cert_counter: