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 5498039 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 24938431 epoch_slot_no: 141631 block_no: 5497862 slot_leader_id: 4555484 size: 398 time: 2021-03-23 13:05:22 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xac475fb9427a03281cee1e1a52a0c35bbc657e5e7dac6b9ca75bd753e3f9ea93Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1557zjjfnf9zv28x4dnq7s2qjkeh0d64ametmnp7srl956m8u7j2salhrms op_cert: \x533be36a0a6d0fb2b827b23226c8aaa660eae057ae0fd6241af0bfafc7d0f31f op_cert_counter: 6