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 5542678 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 25854933 epoch_slot_no: 194133 block_no: 5542501 slot_leader_id: 4556431 size: 847 time: 2021-04-03 03:40:24 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xabb96986d96aa6f8aa837180766eac07ae3bcb92e3911e872cfeaaf0ddb63692Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12dl25929z0snzdwqdy8400aykx64257ted8gfvpxywmwmf4adx7sh29hd2 op_cert: \x04844358426440e183d54ccbaca5cda9713ee3b321d4c07dedc8c5c4a7c91353 op_cert_counter: 2