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 5499541 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 120 slot_no: 24970431 epoch_slot_no: 173631 block_no: 5499364 slot_leader_id: 4568306 size: 63787 time: 2021-03-23 21:58:42 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5b11f8735dab8be4dc12f6eb9605e0ac096e40269bb60663c016e39ea27cf65eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk13x553sflfl8n375qda0pjpkkyk6fx55xhrkkvvjr9gf5s6mdxa9qjdf5ka op_cert: \x983e961a11d48b72959811814e02f0611e9fa7824ded70262f6bee2363bbf4c3 op_cert_counter: 3