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 5496697 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 24911387 epoch_slot_no: 114587 block_no: 5496520 slot_leader_id: 5347914 size: 5053 time: 2021-03-23 05:34:38 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xfb144b8902ee7b3c90393106c15652b78c9ef1354d6e5d52b8bd2ac4d0302e29Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1d0l8l5fvmrswp69hrmq5kz76w3crjvg9xesqq4xq2vk9qhka3j3qzfwsau op_cert: \x3afc476a62ba70624156835524d315d45bac9c61da07e6d2042c84afbad89c92 op_cert_counter: 0