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 5540829 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 25817722 epoch_slot_no: 156922 block_no: 5540652 slot_leader_id: 5540829 size: 3377 time: 2021-04-02 17:20:13 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x408321e7c92f12525a66285b326f0190833713783dc57f0fbb99d2f914bf0b9aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fdx3wl6cfhmeg3gy35zgvurwdar35v45ptfc9nwhwzhwnfs7xx5s8zy50m op_cert: \xc3dc544ced2e889635f81f26fc17b5cf8b49670a903a390e0bce9d6e45eff0cf op_cert_counter: 0