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 5498260 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 24942330 epoch_slot_no: 145530 block_no: 5498083 slot_leader_id: 4630714 size: 11813 time: 2021-03-23 14:10:21 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x54daf21eafade0bb82f9ff3c43c8c52449f05768abcaaf32b416c0d24146f1c7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1z5frlx5466kaftn2lp3ejcv27t4q5v2c2nw23mg9dufkvwqa2ghsd8k55k op_cert: \xe3764ba2d5bb2f1c676925c3c5bf122d6d7250798584bed8d335e0f7f6087aa5 op_cert_counter: 4