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 5456898 Details
Epoch: 253 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 24089790 epoch_slot_no: 156990 block_no: 5456721 slot_leader_id: 5333793 size: 8831 time: 2021-03-13 17:21:21 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb8dd43dcaac2e49260b351d522581ae7a1662e5243e46831645ec39bd0a86cc9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sglhrydgmujh2s0vlvusk4y90tlr7p2a4a8z7rjkjngkk57lypfqphatcc op_cert: \xd9489cc787cf6cc6ec12cdadd78a431feb1bb14298da8ca0ba5a365f21a5f65b op_cert_counter: 1