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 5542817 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 25858012 epoch_slot_no: 197212 block_no: 5542640 slot_leader_id: 5449584 size: 5997 time: 2021-04-03 04:31:43 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe978bf12dd032020593eeae62af577a447475395d1e5de1506d376fde0c9b9aaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk14v5sk8mzap4kq7wp0x6x9fx7zxeq9q2gzf97w9z9uzpmvt6ntvmsdaznrm op_cert: \xda24cac0e7a88a4bda8a8b5f44e59c2ace45c75fac0a797b4acd352a007a6753 op_cert_counter: 1