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 5498319 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 24943518 epoch_slot_no: 146718 block_no: 5498142 slot_leader_id: 5449366 size: 8256 time: 2021-03-23 14:30:09 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xddf17803389053b3b41f8b4e7e8c27067125562d9ec7e1bc27004957f61052c1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mpmp4995mtn32knh24wln0m9vgg2j7geyud2jux8w46qm04t3skqahm260 op_cert: \x7081755752cff60fadbe18fea884e1accf98c103eb28f7229cd29842e6cf324f op_cert_counter: 0