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 5497042 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 24919065 epoch_slot_no: 122265 block_no: 5496865 slot_leader_id: 5386194 size: 3105 time: 2021-03-23 07:42:36 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe3368506b5e8fc8cd6ebe49f5c09b3faeb89676abfe0f8297b7186eb592a48d9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16m88wuvuuv3hrkl69npg3fxg0934mwl30zqj7d0yk93rkq6pnx2qqahs2r op_cert: \x39d4eb1bec6903883187fef7b06d8a5e6b0a0e303f5faac0e12876320d9040bc op_cert_counter: 0