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 5490939 Details
Epoch: 254 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 24795904 epoch_slot_no: 431104 block_no: 5490762 slot_leader_id: 5010262 size: 10007 time: 2021-03-21 21:29:55 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd17548598c144bf7f8ed91395e836c3a3ed20ac913722dfdee9c4361d35e9f92Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15v3sz8x6tykxwz0dn6c3r6a227mx4q83834f974c4yj84g9x25ds2rutwp op_cert: \xcfecdd532a69bf53d1f251b4cca663716dabbd252604bd0a6e38e4b621bfa417 op_cert_counter: 1