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 5498878 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 24955638 epoch_slot_no: 158838 block_no: 5498701 slot_leader_id: 5152260 size: 2456 time: 2021-03-23 17:52:09 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x53e7cf45fcbb5589f060bd476aba1d23e01ebb11be7d75229139512b5ad06fbcBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1360snatudsnaz8lq0cxtsztdgxfp67mypth6tgfvu23y4yj3u96qvq0gv6 op_cert: \xa6f630c0d09a934784adeca3c941a5b5486f74733b753c808570a5b1e79a8b4c op_cert_counter: 4