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 4988698 Details
Epoch: 231 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 14581800 epoch_slot_no: 153000 block_no: 4988521 slot_leader_id: 4490688 size: 270 time: 2020-11-23 16:14:51 proto_major: 2 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x382ec41b9df94e96649004772439d7a6a91b3438134dfd012e811a8f8a5a9ebdBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dkfsejw3h2k7tnguwrauqfwnxa7wj3nkp3yw2yw3400c4nlkluwqzwvka6 op_cert: \xfedfbe7f7472a8fadce0891b894da91def526ee8df92e0263189e28e81ebda18 op_cert_counter: 0