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 5549073 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 25986161 epoch_slot_no: 325361 block_no: 5548896 slot_leader_id: 4974801 size: 13498 time: 2021-04-04 16:07:32 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa3bfea75da7f9e4b8538d7eacf0831d272f6331df1e0f25252b1dbee409248e9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fgsrj2aj8nhnwa7ur606nvr3nmyznd9c0j0y99g5rhahceurcvgqjtksw3 op_cert: \x95c9e44ea81aeb1479fa96585b442150db8babf907cfab6c1b53fc7e67918572 op_cert_counter: 3