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 5098508 Details
Epoch: 236 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 16835092 epoch_slot_no: 246292 block_no: 5098331 slot_leader_id: 4555520 size: 1460 time: 2020-12-19 18:09:43 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7594b4450f7b60a865735f6abdff4eaf6564be1fcfba0a9ba972ca76cabed44cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1w7d6wrmwnmv967fwczseale2mp9d8e977mfc8x0gc3um7nadj9fqvkecw6 op_cert: \x2b01ef794e28b8ab478a22940d2cc4bc50e689bd006fdc90b5dc0d18107e8398 op_cert_counter: 4