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 5099038 Details
Epoch: 236 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 16846105 epoch_slot_no: 257305 block_no: 5098861 slot_leader_id: 4572099 size: 1246 time: 2020-12-19 21:13:16 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x72a63491187f1aee933ee8bcd883b255f9d7d7f416acc44e0a5ed29fd0a1d572Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pkn26ke6fsvl7urh293pefm7qswvh0x6tf7sankxfyq7es4r6l0sph5z2x op_cert: \x9f64184706795042fc4993db729a5732226e8e570196ffdc1b6068755cbe1921 op_cert_counter: 1