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 5497357 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 24925360 epoch_slot_no: 128560 block_no: 5497180 slot_leader_id: 4982078 size: 5999 time: 2021-03-23 09:27:31 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb401ebd9eb627dc23cf196c7e5f3034ed722958789fe8b62fdeb8b8e361c3361Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1h2m78p3tmx37geh6hk33n5sr2xsgk4m8z400cu3qmnw503rys7vqppzd63 op_cert: \x5e62ed0fd7b692598c669d39e11249cca906156e38f778d9bc6515597988f337 op_cert_counter: 3