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 5097602 Details
Epoch: 236 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 16816505 epoch_slot_no: 227705 block_no: 5097425 slot_leader_id: 4630078 size: 1323 time: 2020-12-19 12:59:56 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb3e29b12017ea0caf35ffcde7985d28deb41bc35ce13a62dfb233587bb9099d7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk177scr85eeu7ma3uzx5d69pglcsqjcjaxrkwl228rd75phaxgetyqls072n op_cert: \xd8475f2a7c5ac4fbc86e350b1f0238522595d88533d6c8debb11e9450e065d5d op_cert_counter: 3