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 5518960 Details
Epoch: 256 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 25366513 epoch_slot_no: 137713 block_no: 5518783 slot_leader_id: 5087110 size: 262 time: 2021-03-28 12:00:04 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x02a444eb6ee7cc8e949e529d98a6276bdb339d5d90f0a29fbe2a16d90fa88ebaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1cupe2qzylwyuwu53mgudk4ts668lp0ggcdcxz58tm6psa2k8e7kqxzkggt op_cert: \x584f19c03e3dfa97a22c89433aae62bd00036b2452f4f23adf3685baec637446 op_cert_counter: 3