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 5498631 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 24950304 epoch_slot_no: 153504 block_no: 5498454 slot_leader_id: 5038629 size: 6549 time: 2021-03-23 16:23:15 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf2d812fdc40b36291a54844f5dddef89ac3d0603a58d4945d53f622816e1a39dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1225yd8gdk4pd4jujmh976nrnskrh5hnkgexjwkmqxwml67tjfm9qxaypnx op_cert: \x38cf4c482f3357b493d858cb0bd7436b15c5d8d2bc4fd2d2809267fd84ef7cdc op_cert_counter: 1