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 5491196 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 24801742 epoch_slot_no: 4942 block_no: 5491019 slot_leader_id: 5253100 size: 5866 time: 2021-03-21 23:07:13 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd701681b1390abbf37e9ad16db5f2ca46761967f7de91bc3e301952b49fa1a20Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1n7f3jsa9eacsgal4g62tu5j0sew52ahgek848hlvk6f4vhv5yjvsutxcz4 op_cert: \x15396a7140bde25a659da1bfe6be5f85ca50a3533b5b5be48c2a72d604e05c4c op_cert_counter: 1