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 5498097 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 24939315 epoch_slot_no: 142515 block_no: 5497920 slot_leader_id: 5087105 size: 9571 time: 2021-03-23 13:20:06 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa9f434bb67fdc80ce9584d7c86c928cdf77eddec9e7a433c74ee86fc4f87d0d3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zygx4nnpn0yqs0wzh5g275ppjh2fudrqqwxh9r4stvux5s9xeasqqnh9s8 op_cert: \x1da68a5148288ee5bcfa5f1ce3c513fabea5a203264f17520e44d9c084c4b588 op_cert_counter: 2