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 5457599 Details
Epoch: 253 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 24104300 epoch_slot_no: 171500 block_no: 5457422 slot_leader_id: 4490688 size: 5677 time: 2021-03-13 21:23:11 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa3b7724027eb972e6c5fd0317eb26bb2b75e29ad3077036de5e54762d0fad16dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dkfsejw3h2k7tnguwrauqfwnxa7wj3nkp3yw2yw3400c4nlkluwqzwvka6 op_cert: \xd2aef9732541e9c39d15e5c9da756f8befd0c22fa53a16f3f08b6d8fdd2feeb3 op_cert_counter: 2