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 5490826 Details
Epoch: 254 Number of transactions in block: 10 slot_no: 24793827 epoch_slot_no: 429027 block_no: 5490649 slot_leader_id: 5152904 size: 13986 time: 2021-03-21 20:55:18 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x881fb9728fe0c88ae33ccb9e6d613c0623aa0cf6c68e20fe4d04f7b0767690eeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pqsnv96072nq89pjw6wkyj6qw4qrw7v7qs6ak7y8aah7w4htdauq8syga5 op_cert: \x3ae5ba9b39f5b6f56342aadbb4780d2ec7b92d285600c4d5780588258c93d480 op_cert_counter: 4