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 5497864 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 24934961 epoch_slot_no: 138161 block_no: 5497687 slot_leader_id: 4614290 size: 3229 time: 2021-03-23 12:07:32 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3a22d5f63430c4b6892165a4e147af650003ff8699829caf99f311bb6bb72ff8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1maculfw24mfcn6dfzrl4rywxalwgayqknrqzyx9lcaxhml92pj6sra9lu5 op_cert: \x2c48f00023593bc9eee263f9fddd041ab97fbb8d5d03599bd7244c0311c896bb op_cert_counter: 4