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 5540237 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 25805142 epoch_slot_no: 144342 block_no: 5540060 slot_leader_id: 4961637 size: 8733 time: 2021-04-02 13:50:33 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc8f700967bc9acc3883044e64a1df4c9cdd692d11a8a2cca05581cd54c4bbadfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk10yts68r6rzs9jh2f4a3a7lfvzfm3w7907wrtxun79hk56lxdsnqsx93y75 op_cert: \xcaba25a605e92b93944b814c71647dbe394d2b31f0949600023f27f666ef5416 op_cert_counter: 1