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 5495040 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 24879172 epoch_slot_no: 82372 block_no: 5494863 slot_leader_id: 5152259 size: 2453 time: 2021-03-22 20:37:43 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0204be8287612992d8a227710906565c5724524458a2df0b7cc0918b3c599d2cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1y78shuvly24p9wdhu9wljt7yyyh9ddfgcf3aljgqy52s5rmgqjlsyhzch6 op_cert: \x8d7d0c789bd21ff90b9ad2ec68e6ad037c9e5f32069f4e2d2341445fa7f63588 op_cert_counter: 1