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 5490617 Details
Epoch: 254 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 24789532 epoch_slot_no: 424732 block_no: 5490440 slot_leader_id: 5150339 size: 4719 time: 2021-03-21 19:43:43 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x457045cceda5814c845fa7f40eb780b82355f60745e163f3d01d200b9f4b9d90Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12u53fs72qflkaellznc7f3grwxzejy5vlkl0jwnesfsnrce97cuq7gl5e6 op_cert: \x85359749537d3597a21240962e749b5856498ca04ab8879a41ec802c7d2c405d op_cert_counter: 1