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 5497638 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 24930630 epoch_slot_no: 133830 block_no: 5497461 slot_leader_id: 4555520 size: 2489 time: 2021-03-23 10:55:21 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdb3bf54b5ea6a54d2728a442c6adcce53e5708b60a76dc7c6c22f6c927a88cbbBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1w7d6wrmwnmv967fwczseale2mp9d8e977mfc8x0gc3um7nadj9fqvkecw6 op_cert: \x26dbdca65cf798748e5ac4a58cf263f5ad41d508dce7951dadc5d7888ec1f796 op_cert_counter: 5