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 5497899 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 24935672 epoch_slot_no: 138872 block_no: 5497722 slot_leader_id: 5430728 size: 2315 time: 2021-03-23 12:19:23 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7efbab610edd03e6181885f5cbcd5f604f95ee7444140be9cf70715dc8892fcaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hanecvhkuud56zwhmkz4fsx20jjwnekze0ahj3n2g86fkm7w55ssztlskl op_cert: \xc5ff28f1e07253633a1f9e68261ec576a15898642a5c08c2e2b6d2ca0a74bf6c op_cert_counter: 1