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 5500161 Details
Epoch: 255 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 24982953 epoch_slot_no: 186153 block_no: 5499984 slot_leader_id: 5150339 size: 7709 time: 2021-03-24 01:27:24 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x114426b1a19c2cd0f740e47af5a97ab4ccc0942e5b54530c1d961ecc1137ddadBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12u53fs72qflkaellznc7f3grwxzejy5vlkl0jwnesfsnrce97cuq7gl5e6 op_cert: \x85359749537d3597a21240962e749b5856498ca04ab8879a41ec802c7d2c405d op_cert_counter: 1