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 5049740 Details
Epoch: 234 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 15833073 epoch_slot_no: 108273 block_no: 5049563 slot_leader_id: 4556540 size: 1471 time: 2020-12-08 03:49:24 proto_major: 2 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf770ae8162e4ae7ab7c4bc7f459fcfb0bf01d3098be70495b9b7c49537e6823aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1e7wz3przj50tcty4wc4emqfe5wqfajzp5e4uvgm8ytrch27zrfts8xnhcj op_cert: \x4f047c4dbff85ed12479819844505c6afa2c2fde78e9d1a78048ce004045fa3b op_cert_counter: 1