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 5408997 Details
Epoch: 251 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 23111334 epoch_slot_no: 42534 block_no: 5408820 slot_leader_id: 5322587 size: 7378 time: 2021-03-02 09:33:45 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdc6e60def30332fa161da50a3320b55aea298127625e5c0cfb9a9cdc1b5c61baBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mpjz9xaqn9jry63na8kkj5vlyp59mxkza9c93s84jpq6sh6z8ujq7avyn9 op_cert: \xbb1ccbcd924affd42bff12a58ef3e646415481cc042f3473aa8cb0424a498008 op_cert_counter: 2