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 5536498 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 25727069 epoch_slot_no: 66269 block_no: 5536321 slot_leader_id: 5279212 size: 6046 time: 2021-04-01 16:09:20 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x408b5e0487f17369ca71dc603380937e59827dd2e86fe0a7ceda7c03c336559cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk128auv3rradx0skjhetgfvk7aagq0rzfcamkv53mxg200cvxme2pq5e88kj op_cert: \x97b151dd8466d9c67b1c007d2065684257eed8f4f4a399c0dc393d0cf0a87a15 op_cert_counter: 0