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 5499861 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 24976985 epoch_slot_no: 180185 block_no: 5499684 slot_leader_id: 4577713 size: 14168 time: 2021-03-23 23:47:56 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1690ad99d0e9746ec50108981a3a7bd3cb8a8a4efea0c9a8a74b598b5fecd6d2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qwu8m2lsqldzdg4m8ypaj5w2sdamla6p0t2kvk0amzfpc5v7ednsvfcj2p op_cert: \xc398fd3d63b2685a880a90a17941915b0c71e51d2f320e5e4b215bfa9e1e3580 op_cert_counter: 3