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 5540785 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 25816830 epoch_slot_no: 156030 block_no: 5540608 slot_leader_id: 5449505 size: 6873 time: 2021-04-02 17:05:21 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x34e8f4bbe2811f26a7ea49315f5bdee63400945ab2c4125eca9e241cb2068fe9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ezhtnhetkgm53jx7wc08esufyfp75cvk34cul20uhkg4ph6knuys9qay6z op_cert: \x816f54e69044d0d2bf8d111fbf48cfdc76893f82d18d91f098db47eb40bebc6d op_cert_counter: 1