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 5490633 Details
Epoch: 254 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 24789827 epoch_slot_no: 425027 block_no: 5490456 slot_leader_id: 4941448 size: 2986 time: 2021-03-21 19:48:38 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa4c2e07d6c19e26e7b9f7225bd260560b3bb687442cac553a34e996d814bf8f8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mmahu03jycqskaywr79hsckf4esdyecu7g3lypnnznrhps3ddylsn4fya9 op_cert: \x0c1fc164758ad3ac8e5b07b7f099baeae1d82eecf00efafb3b0dca02bccab08c op_cert_counter: 8