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 5498617 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 24950037 epoch_slot_no: 153237 block_no: 5498440 slot_leader_id: 4598518 size: 8006 time: 2021-03-23 16:18:48 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcb3fc8c899e9db6f37ca424246b542e0a2561665edc1c7e02f6aadc3c7d45bb1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1f8ugl3vv734dx4c3k23wtqya2pcec7gjv7mamcth2qwqhcr45fdsw9lugj op_cert: \xd6b79c64d0f3ebc7d54fb31b3077bf7aedd59569a49f503c6eec380073a61d45 op_cert_counter: 5