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 5540684 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 25814282 epoch_slot_no: 153482 block_no: 5540507 slot_leader_id: 5065959 size: 10317 time: 2021-04-02 16:22:53 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3cc20abb5daf57aa77abbc3c1ecfeff5ab287c6156d52f10accedaee33efa925Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1d9qrmed96sxkttr88uhg8u9dxa79rwhrppy75ea588r9c6t29q7q2zyu74 op_cert: \x65e1665aeca03a4b9e49b35d43e641f3254f5597a06da756d99b9be67008e686 op_cert_counter: 5