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 5540046 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 25801650 epoch_slot_no: 140850 block_no: 5539869 slot_leader_id: 5051928 size: 5013 time: 2021-04-02 12:52:21 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x732ece96c1984e487a38def4b3e63b5b061bd57a528e5766f97b1cda8bc2eef8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dv6d47qc6w8z4x8p2mmmqexd3khw6pt083r2jn6ztxckkcy9y6hqszrgpv op_cert: \x137bbd53b219eaf0d13a36c9c67d7ebe133bfd2234a1674dc071dd1e8e539845 op_cert_counter: 2