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 5498953 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 24957340 epoch_slot_no: 160540 block_no: 5498776 slot_leader_id: 4558946 size: 799 time: 2021-03-23 18:20:31 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x950c864740529f99c98dde4be30c6a6f0b85b6144f216845f264ab5b2eb26f18Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pj8n7cv07gn4s83vnxgnh3l4m0uqunud2hfmn6d203v6gjvn6jfq9yanjy op_cert: \x759c69fb01788b0193c78aeede91cecd7f92f60634122646d49a74018317df35 op_cert_counter: 3