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 5542058 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 25843110 epoch_slot_no: 182310 block_no: 5541881 slot_leader_id: 4556762 size: 11603 time: 2021-04-03 00:23:21 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3ecac695f15b9dc9b5aa1283323b2498fa14be22135156286eaa6793775ffd06Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1e6htw3vtc0mk0kcynlv783jahpwjgvvhl7hgwy3nje79n0k5sqzscy5045 op_cert: \x5c5476bc0766bf871e089a32be589e36c6f62cadaf651bf2f253da4071b6598d op_cert_counter: 4