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 5473046 Details
Epoch: 254 Number of transactions in block: 33 slot_no: 24423289 epoch_slot_no: 58489 block_no: 5472869 slot_leader_id: 4557143 size: 12759 time: 2021-03-17 13:59:40 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xec862cf74ddd643f23ecd236b7329aae86cfd1332747807fdf0b33b3de6a926dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk10hj5paw809p7hv482x8nkdplpjdnt8kz8hnvef7798638au89lxqcuw7l7 op_cert: \xbbc6edc3559cf79d9d826c4cf3dcf356cb6d703fc2b52a73de3fbe3ca788495e op_cert_counter: 16