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 5495253 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 24883431 epoch_slot_no: 86631 block_no: 5495076 slot_leader_id: 4982193 size: 9395 time: 2021-03-22 21:48:42 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf768b2840aaf09524eb4f578a8016fb58faefa95f1fe26ae1659c0a5ede98ae4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mnjzvlsemnhnufd47g49cwsq7cgy8z657p0wre3gm6hl4gz6zcasw457zz op_cert: \xaf952de01c7e4e08a118671731f24065ba50a7124dc5b76ab20fff0d042392a9 op_cert_counter: 2