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 5498898 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 24956031 epoch_slot_no: 159231 block_no: 5498721 slot_leader_id: 5449775 size: 1836 time: 2021-03-23 17:58:42 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x74dca4a86c9fb78bd4951e04f6aa95e6863de9e89cb2597ea3f2672fad111e35Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1z5auen82gmsxjglvkpek8saf6lrl00klfh0l2k26v3pgp89wj0vssj9n35 op_cert: \x1dd91728315685f7be5ee70d1f6ad85e3895bc41238f9012b2e2aa6ef0ccd95a op_cert_counter: 0