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 5498218 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 24941649 epoch_slot_no: 144849 block_no: 5498041 slot_leader_id: 5003808 size: 7644 time: 2021-03-23 13:59:00 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7d05c21308abb7ee095663c7c977391bc98784503d6141392e1114fdcb302f71Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk143s9r24ek68k3pchwj6ene5h5sq2nqek5gc8tkueych36h3g69aq8pergs op_cert: \xec9a3e04a71126ff82fd6984597fb2b54b7c415b2bb4164361a68d037441d596 op_cert_counter: 1