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 5498527 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 24948074 epoch_slot_no: 151274 block_no: 5498350 slot_leader_id: 4577845 size: 2550 time: 2021-03-23 15:46:05 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x68359b288ceed9bbe39202735ae7071cf0929d996629711a0e0fbba55de90f99Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lqt0tpt9sxq3wz5eahqhqjcm8ak6pjc78ua4y4968lhsw3s7xl5qlz58rv op_cert: \xaf4421ce58027b02c3bfc5fe01717c99062b005e2977a16206e85e041b840d23 op_cert_counter: 3