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 5542726 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 25856022 epoch_slot_no: 195222 block_no: 5542549 slot_leader_id: 5495683 size: 4283 time: 2021-04-03 03:58:33 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8103110487782eb239597bf135fcf60d1e53bf2ff612295432e59cf4317295edBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16rypntlhatkcnyrr2w99jmasvnzh9p7utsc6hjc2ezwavqquw79stjmj5a op_cert: \xac5580279a323840056cc8ad0993c3ac35ef9a48efd7ccc86eeeb48d91deaeba op_cert_counter: 0