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 5546035 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 25924336 epoch_slot_no: 263536 block_no: 5545858 slot_leader_id: 4555561 size: 6531 time: 2021-04-03 22:57:07 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdad1ae963dbe73c27c66bd295d84adc3ab671722537b7348abb2a2ce2a8d8dccBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vahd9zncqkeaehp09j3g93a8kmdhk8gy4cn8spc8tze0e5eegflqkak6k6 op_cert: \xde85adbc799b1ad239550d80856af013444313d73fea34e7dc9746b3dbf30ef6 op_cert_counter: 4