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 5548462 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 23 slot_no: 25973745 epoch_slot_no: 312945 block_no: 5548285 slot_leader_id: 4981372 size: 9719 time: 2021-04-04 12:40:36 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x898b16d99fe60fe20cc2582f6e95b416f4b20e71af5853890656d2db1a3bd157Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zex6fy5atu7e7l5akzqqjvzn80valqdng56hta8p3uyvajyhuxpsd7f3v3 op_cert: \x4257b75236dc2db34650ee7adc0121f7ccbbd5652bad9db35877efebb190b1fb op_cert_counter: 1