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 5497117 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 24920711 epoch_slot_no: 123911 block_no: 5496940 slot_leader_id: 5155708 size: 1961 time: 2021-03-23 08:10:02 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1f1de5307d0547e20a4814b8e54fb16e4b7f2949ee926dce9992f2cf34378ae5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1trt3chpnwveum0lew3d6nl7c9836zhr4rczxgu4xlmqr2yd4l00spt8p9f op_cert: \x361dd0c4674adae30e2b3285acc8d94682a56698d671a00de1bc5adff5f7d161 op_cert_counter: 1