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 5549761 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 26000477 epoch_slot_no: 339677 block_no: 5549584 slot_leader_id: 4869078 size: 18807 time: 2021-04-04 20:06:08 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xae86b1abcfc4371daf87d87d6e0b6e003095136674c03726952b40feeb239518Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wtrryjjkch77gg8lpueyy3lqltdehrt3d56kgvtvtsculnexcvks44hjm9 op_cert: \x0897bcf3cf6556891f9c9d0f586edb855a6c2a47138910fbdc849ed74af3a6c4 op_cert_counter: 3