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 5497868 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 24935010 epoch_slot_no: 138210 block_no: 5497691 slot_leader_id: 5060241 size: 2210 time: 2021-03-23 12:08:21 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0edfbeaf5f3be3afc6271c6d48eb9ff5e55d435f729570c922a071f4f7b5ee3eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1w9w6w47pvl5ggnj93adhu6azpte6srcnpj2fmx9lk0r5ucc7gfssqkncr6 op_cert: \xf1f9351732d7cc13df03a78183d3a61af9c0b0d14ccbbb1762ec0c0c1916fedf op_cert_counter: 7