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 5540119 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 25803121 epoch_slot_no: 142321 block_no: 5539942 slot_leader_id: 4555865 size: 3534 time: 2021-04-02 13:16:52 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9f8aad28bf73ef10bf2ae0c3a2a7dc1d2246ef933f86cbd512a83ad6dec333eeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1y6rlw79mmm0pjw2n29w0rjr5vgqsrje3nasr3elt2kvm0v9g0z5q40m3d2 op_cert: \x10ca71b1e29307ec239e2f86bb300b7e348cbd7e53b7847fa8118974da129538 op_cert_counter: 3