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 5498494 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 24947458 epoch_slot_no: 150658 block_no: 5498317 slot_leader_id: 5003307 size: 8176 time: 2021-03-23 15:35:49 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4764606c2be51776fe80ed1bdf61fa10ba9e8d9d5c5632c80aa1eb66d36fdff0Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk13tgw0f2eu2wmw25076k88jdqdd82k9sm5gl8uzqqfs7m8tgzh4mqustes0 op_cert: \x31d9e5c0a3c48e6e370cddd373c92cd93630798a67d5efbc44f724be6ea401d8 op_cert_counter: 1