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 5497651 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 24930867 epoch_slot_no: 134067 block_no: 5497474 slot_leader_id: 4555499 size: 3584 time: 2021-03-23 10:59:18 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4414c6d2525ecdc2dbd186e7dd827d011acd7c20f2434a8e922151a39a67ff65Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17ltssr2yxf2j6ktqkhd3sgxedjna205ce9qp5djyvfa639hhux4qj73fzv op_cert: \x32f2bd7e9b8089681135fbc4c8133182141c497c08ac56579e4dddfdb197eae1 op_cert_counter: 5