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 5490437 Details
Epoch: 254 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 24785826 epoch_slot_no: 421026 block_no: 5490260 slot_leader_id: 4627143 size: 2408 time: 2021-03-21 18:41:57 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x33605100f9eada60bd9e95194cf09d0bdc3b702e4938790aad2fa48979d5862cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1czculnj656yl3pcmj7pcqewkyghn6s4qr92epvqghw0ktrr9k53qfzpw26 op_cert: \xeaa828f219e0f5e124f68d7bc758c54f84776f5f4a2de6cf50edbcf607eab8c7 op_cert_counter: 2