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 5478438 Details
Epoch: 254 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 24536342 epoch_slot_no: 171542 block_no: 5478261 slot_leader_id: 5087834 size: 2725 time: 2021-03-18 21:23:53 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcf5fdc2f660ec5c09ec0457be215f43d445bc85389f844b6d8032edc25b74e73Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1c9enrdq7hcfhahy6nquktuucgtp59vz35x905mujjhugkj59y3pqs9sdk4 op_cert: \x9da7a3af9cd0c418a694d93b4b6ebc12cc774d63f6bd9a994198367c8366947f op_cert_counter: 3