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 5478421 Details
Epoch: 254 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 24535953 epoch_slot_no: 171153 block_no: 5478244 slot_leader_id: 5044633 size: 9683 time: 2021-03-18 21:17:24 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x404e93a988a22668e6d967f8de549d30a28c60b1394c15223da52ca134be64fdBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1u8xxqcvjytxw7q4rxdsgxeqqw4ud6jy7gyv42jhkvktfjl5d98pqj4avvf op_cert: \xaed88d9d32d2d570d852bfc1475f17adf777744a972b39f65ea228dc6c005e2e op_cert_counter: 1