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 5498435 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 24945969 epoch_slot_no: 149169 block_no: 5498258 slot_leader_id: 5010262 size: 7258 time: 2021-03-23 15:11:00 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd1f0538dd370175a689d5d782f4edfae91911494914d1467a47ec6c5e24c1d16Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15v3sz8x6tykxwz0dn6c3r6a227mx4q83834f974c4yj84g9x25ds2rutwp op_cert: \xcfecdd532a69bf53d1f251b4cca663716dabbd252604bd0a6e38e4b621bfa417 op_cert_counter: 1