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 5540101 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 25802775 epoch_slot_no: 141975 block_no: 5539924 slot_leader_id: 4585961 size: 7439 time: 2021-04-02 13:11:06 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2d9e1bcf9bbca815ed63eac632cc250bd9f5eabb7fe6f3682747e9526cb9f55eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17hryzec3zjkds8d4k5xnkk7e76j8varatq0cf85l9r3fsskxwgxqzzyqcz op_cert: \xc009b87b7c4348667c24f49d83dc019c7a1a61f5dbdc867760f6468127e90377 op_cert_counter: 6