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 5499538 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 24969570 epoch_slot_no: 172770 block_no: 5499361 slot_leader_id: 4558052 size: 8987 time: 2021-03-23 21:44:21 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x002b03b2cc3b3e27d2be9fd11648598e329d352236c54f317e1ce3533c9d00a8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12cmp9tznzdsp64q4clmnyn20k78xewtn4m2uzmv5rjfkknvm6h4sztrzhl op_cert: \xc943db335042011feb302c2249980babb737e5884db258c67288dffb4189e7ab op_cert_counter: 6