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 5542661 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 25854579 epoch_slot_no: 193779 block_no: 5542484 slot_leader_id: 5046607 size: 7686 time: 2021-04-03 03:34:30 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x307dd75e7d821009348e63148950c1b5a49566233f877a7ea13a2e3400bb939fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ngghyylmk529sf6unkf3v7qq2l9flr4yqpz99gnv25spm9xwyymsslfy77 op_cert: \xd41087c32f08d46d9d91298672a204437e703eadfc8e32fa0282de8f5bf7cb1d op_cert_counter: 1