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 5549857 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 26002552 epoch_slot_no: 341752 block_no: 5549680 slot_leader_id: 5266600 size: 7420 time: 2021-04-04 20:40:43 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe495f1c7385f9497c0718801987a6b2a8208ffba961adb1dfed07fb10c4c0db8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18qpdzp9xyy8qp24yv7hxwslvvlg0vl88t2j5ztg7cftqefdw4z9qe8d9e2 op_cert: \x1b481f3b2d4168f7cad315eeedfa64924853384c6364b92e30820a4784904420 op_cert_counter: 10