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 5540501 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 25810619 epoch_slot_no: 149819 block_no: 5540324 slot_leader_id: 4981199 size: 4700 time: 2021-04-02 15:21:50 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9c0eab553b648e3f1955606dc43d6e3eef0ab4c40fd36d44eabd46e894b9f357Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ja232r6au98684psv376s5vhwgmzs7xs59h7y25tsypg29rgs87s9lxm29 op_cert: \x04533eb482e44dbfbac84ea981dc09deff0dcbc6894aa32054847241eca18309 op_cert_counter: 1