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 5540036 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 10 slot_no: 25801462 epoch_slot_no: 140662 block_no: 5539859 slot_leader_id: 4579074 size: 4302 time: 2021-04-02 12:49:13 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf81e877132b3f72ab9b31ff4659812eb18a91513b4d475dc1b246fc561dc1935Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vvaypd7znudt0d895drvqdd7x6svp4wkzu2gxq9rzygd8qk79sxq5jkf3r op_cert: \xfdf4ab4bd2c790e4fab421aa51ecd33e57c3b6a45d656cd8b122a0780908c3ce op_cert_counter: 1