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 5542675 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 25854836 epoch_slot_no: 194036 block_no: 5542498 slot_leader_id: 4635737 size: 2753 time: 2021-04-03 03:38:47 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5d46be5b84b1098da50d50ce1e0836507892ad90b4ebcfdbffc2affea2b896f5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1rpahl77etqs7nfqp5e3g7606dl5vp293zhqvwj4xza4amlz6yujq9tf4vs op_cert: \x42b6f61cde74ee99b28f5808c5e02a8f1828ae1a88a885e1ccc511f6be9019a5 op_cert_counter: 2