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 5497318 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 24924480 epoch_slot_no: 127680 block_no: 5497141 slot_leader_id: 4593905 size: 1806 time: 2021-03-23 09:12:51 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4287a10733ae3fa167e5f75371a738c4ad9decc8bb266d6df958ce06596097daBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nmasytxtdyprxex77uhz99fls9wpedx32fvu864zu2dj3wwqfsaq367a2e op_cert: \x171f005825258d59d40863cb681678aface34087c3145b73822b20b2fe91c9b9 op_cert_counter: 2