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 5497834 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 24 slot_no: 24934434 epoch_slot_no: 137634 block_no: 5497657 slot_leader_id: 4556014 size: 12267 time: 2021-03-23 11:58:45 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2d69dc853a2b6c3af6e8a8382f8ff7dff754d3550575f4a07d5088b2c085b7a1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1elepmm7z2v8strsztf4wsfldmzfetskdn73al09qnjeuhtvps4ss8c57cq op_cert: \xc56484ae520a8316a717cc6f0769bf4d759b2b95625c09b82ba832d7c311d641 op_cert_counter: 5