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 5498357 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 24944105 epoch_slot_no: 147305 block_no: 5498180 slot_leader_id: 4571896 size: 1325 time: 2021-03-23 14:39:56 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2436edc1170262e4af8975fcca81380430fe4ac2ac1d521447b74263bb31230bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dk5fmrhwjvymenqtx0ts8t82gec6ljfxgtv8a8w659g43yfh2rase8wt5w op_cert: \x89a00782b295bfd0ff0adae9ad16dea385287be7db9a56d645d38a0af646363f op_cert_counter: 5