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 5545522 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 25913913 epoch_slot_no: 253113 block_no: 5545345 slot_leader_id: 4555884 size: 19694 time: 2021-04-03 20:03:24 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x28096c2111d2e207719861a86791fd8d3a026e4720b35cd4dcb4e73981e6cfebBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1t675th7lfmnks2w3jhkzgaceqnhrj3ec0ulx2qzaav4he64nj0qqncsczk op_cert: \x6ad0dcac64b6437929fd7f4f81f6b423b54dc380fc65c2546da2e0c7a6f88e1e op_cert_counter: 6