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 5498886 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 24955745 epoch_slot_no: 158945 block_no: 5498709 slot_leader_id: 4555611 size: 1461 time: 2021-03-23 17:53:56 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd97d7feb45322368e734fb9614d49f33cf2f13a6b9b9e425a8a72421be79bb65Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1g4szjxfzun99644w6xyx0855jzfnxp7ch3cz55d4uakl66xaw7hqh84zte op_cert: \x3dd3ade6f1c2b69f5ee5d2bc3a8f1c5038ad7e6a18d2b1d3df67409b50900f95 op_cert_counter: 5