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 5498013 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 24937975 epoch_slot_no: 141175 block_no: 5497836 slot_leader_id: 4572864 size: 5997 time: 2021-03-23 12:57:46 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x897ee8c5912c6b8b12d46be92f80ac55d8baa347b2807bdd4f1e4fae470bcf5eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dvumtjl4aw02v0wscezwtq93m47er2zktlwvha2s20fcrd9hdr3q2zsxy6 op_cert: \xd4a2e36218f13eaa22ce5c4e6a2caa3ff1faea1ecc9a055ad1800e47c9d9fb9f op_cert_counter: 3