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 5498682 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 24951133 epoch_slot_no: 154333 block_no: 5498505 slot_leader_id: 4490695 size: 2609 time: 2021-03-23 16:37:04 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x480ebf78386ec24b101ae7f52d98f6639caf0a3427c5bce3ec282ad988d9a6d3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk14y9pjprzlsjvjt66mv5u7w7292sxp3kn4ewhss45ayjga5vurgaqhqknuu op_cert: \x8cada7e2b5f6745ad1365a84a077309a1224be0fcd72a1797aa6837160b74c52 op_cert_counter: 2