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 5496684 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 24911193 epoch_slot_no: 114393 block_no: 5496507 slot_leader_id: 4598725 size: 5699 time: 2021-03-23 05:31:24 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xac31359a118ee72e83fb72330e68999511fda75359c253e3f16b22f0c9edb870Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ezeef5vfdy0nu0lfpkwxf6m7y4sg2m590dtd78zsjts59jskdttq2hyj4w op_cert: \xb7b4e66bf9991e14bb3cb74912b08b5a4cb1e183b9869c2097e5155f75749d06 op_cert_counter: 3