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 5540977 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 25820764 epoch_slot_no: 159964 block_no: 5540800 slot_leader_id: 4898788 size: 16584 time: 2021-04-02 18:10:55 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xec80fe1cda618cabfd442f5cb2e2f8bf15a0747be9ad124e6f2342b2bcb360b2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15zvgmteq0qgwmelmhvjlwh483smhf2j06dscurg0gwp70t98fwcsc5v5k3 op_cert: \x45220bedbe8c655e21e81e0fbf0833003f83ff8cc8f6e7e5aa7e613d393186e8 op_cert_counter: 2