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 5549358 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 25991877 epoch_slot_no: 331077 block_no: 5549181 slot_leader_id: 4579330 size: 2661 time: 2021-04-04 17:42:48 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xafcf8613935aecab13e6fd7674868a91b6ca36a30b19b4572e356f7bc7f8ec52Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17hff333krucx82wjdhnwnfvusg8p4zn22lwmf2pmd2e5mghu52hqvpf8qj op_cert: \xc1059451f3ec218c537fa827c24e943729d25e20bbe78b44490fee7286cbd159 op_cert_counter: 3