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 5545603 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 25915501 epoch_slot_no: 254701 block_no: 5545426 slot_leader_id: 5283616 size: 1173 time: 2021-04-03 20:29:52 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcc73ee20f4175fa9cea5daa02e14dccd49e2fb440ae157a664a1bbfafbc4c223Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sv0dqyddt77vh2nancv6ar3xgemn2jkhn6xmq84dh5vstkvl7xcsmjhad2 op_cert: \x9642fc995fb3e939d7d907d4eeaa0ebf23b6243970a0770511b4da60a3608a55 op_cert_counter: 0