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 5498608 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 24949843 epoch_slot_no: 153043 block_no: 5498431 slot_leader_id: 4585961 size: 19309 time: 2021-03-23 16:15:34 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x91deb8f2842fb3bd144a6cfe33c8f4481c589b11967421ffdd60cebca8172df3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17hryzec3zjkds8d4k5xnkk7e76j8varatq0cf85l9r3fsskxwgxqzzyqcz op_cert: \xc009b87b7c4348667c24f49d83dc019c7a1a61f5dbdc867760f6468127e90377 op_cert_counter: 6