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 4993498 Details
Epoch: 231 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 14679386 epoch_slot_no: 250586 block_no: 4993321 slot_leader_id: 4555559 size: 2900 time: 2020-11-24 19:21:17 proto_major: 2 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4d9074ec5613627d7811f8c458c13193771f108e8a87dfcf2130d76424550acaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wtjqjwqte7lj8h4z3hvyz7w97mnlgkj26mnhs79vlflus34u2txq3a5z6z op_cert: \x0203674a70a8b2225672fc397c46de1e866af9b9c05f889837e4e050e8b1688f op_cert_counter: 2