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 5493685 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 24850888 epoch_slot_no: 54088 block_no: 5493508 slot_leader_id: 5086951 size: 8922 time: 2021-03-22 12:46:19 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8563c13dd67181c7b9e0115a575156c35d352f9a8d4a2ac16f060cdee3c2df5dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18x0e7dx8j37gdxftnn8ru6jcxs7n6acdazc4ykeda2ygjwg9a7ls7ns699 op_cert: \xc41c42d5d36b748c596242d70ab06f81893d0ce6f474d2388d8643bbcf559568 op_cert_counter: 3