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 5540436 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 25809120 epoch_slot_no: 148320 block_no: 5540259 slot_leader_id: 5153012 size: 7387 time: 2021-04-02 14:56:51 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x119ab07c77dc5fb3ca0778d2fcd14a375d17f24d400403058ec92f3e993032c9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nn8nsxsnqmxnke2h207s9rua3g0ruudxlmxn6vyw9egpn9xx5t9q8pv3sp op_cert: \xf1a9232eb99f55b530501200443604b8deb05f050d25df69f614ed4211898dc6 op_cert_counter: 4