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 5540960 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 44 slot_no: 25820406 epoch_slot_no: 159606 block_no: 5540783 slot_leader_id: 4566298 size: 19917 time: 2021-04-02 18:04:57 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4fc032c159926b0e790624ca59531ed8979cf0cfd9e827d75bf77cadaf125120Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18jwugcagrtfvn0efq9pgpzt327vnqkwstxpqq84q3ndsjqu559lq9u8yv5 op_cert: \x570411d6191342b40a6f22b3347c3f4094430c15b26b27fac7c8ca763106abb0 op_cert_counter: 4