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 5497965 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 24937018 epoch_slot_no: 140218 block_no: 5497788 slot_leader_id: 5150339 size: 3089 time: 2021-03-23 12:41:49 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xae994fba44156f031d8f344efa98eae8cf5d554719a1eafb3d0dbc1f6ee0edc5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12u53fs72qflkaellznc7f3grwxzejy5vlkl0jwnesfsnrce97cuq7gl5e6 op_cert: \x85359749537d3597a21240962e749b5856498ca04ab8879a41ec802c7d2c405d op_cert_counter: 1