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 5549263 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 25989769 epoch_slot_no: 328969 block_no: 5549086 slot_leader_id: 4861365 size: 6222 time: 2021-04-04 17:07:40 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdcc862a1301f81f8f79ed5600fb9b7ab5918b1a95727b628a486e734e6ee88c1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1xswwqk02nw7s779ks8huxaf34hhjy7vlzxhfh7y426xj0pddmhwqfrmc27 op_cert: \x9f6feaf94bc0beb1a1f0b8e171b16b2dc3ab473ce4c458e11c58080bab038ca5 op_cert_counter: 1