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 5490173 Details
Epoch: 254 Number of transactions in block: 23 slot_no: 24780444 epoch_slot_no: 415644 block_no: 5489996 slot_leader_id: 4710136 size: 13140 time: 2021-03-21 17:12:15 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x102b3d931da5eb93492728c75a7187fcac7f1d0ead9678d4f44425e590bdbb5aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16ddt5jrstu5jt22fphm72suvx2645yctfplna088tk6zpshsqtsq7s6v78 op_cert: \x75c126fdf9a5a703a6d399a806fcb2a304192a278d78346236c42b16b9a77fd8 op_cert_counter: 2