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 5546036 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 10 slot_no: 25924367 epoch_slot_no: 263567 block_no: 5545859 slot_leader_id: 4736553 size: 5601 time: 2021-04-03 22:57:38 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2008e8e52ccf6c288cd4fd5ddb886d58033dfb235cd9be04abb3ea5f9ba4aeefBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vzzngklkz56jwr4vgl9vxny3gkjkkevcns2cwqhhff35k26klm5qez5c3q op_cert: \x765a0f8c793a26e8796f30cad7c22148d1f7d366101b3782ede4150f28cc64cd op_cert_counter: 7