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 5490612 Details
Epoch: 254 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 24789431 epoch_slot_no: 424631 block_no: 5490435 slot_leader_id: 4558133 size: 9335 time: 2021-03-21 19:42:02 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1af029f697960fb1db6fcb54770319835c7686ce471d1f721ee12065e1ec00e1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sq2mwyjxq4x8a8xkguduwlg2mqk37nznxyg63dx0jeq50w3c79xs06vq58 op_cert: \xe5229966c94d79108bef956174089b6aa9e6790a8674046428beca45765724fd op_cert_counter: 4