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 5498495 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 24947466 epoch_slot_no: 150666 block_no: 5498318 slot_leader_id: 4490691 size: 2305 time: 2021-03-23 15:35:57 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x03c7655bc27c960cda5c4e92c7f97a1981e92721bdfd6908ab18678071658692Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1f8d5uguzjzvmnwpu7cfx0x3eq4umsmqkdqk4m0w4ftsk07h9e99sxnsyzn op_cert: \xac164d4c97b3eb07e66fca8d5b211785e607a59831cb0c7a54d8268503402272 op_cert_counter: 2