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 5550001 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 26005633 epoch_slot_no: 344833 block_no: 5549824 slot_leader_id: 4593560 size: 1210 time: 2021-04-04 21:32:04 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x01000372e6dfb1e97bff7da9c80e211f7d8178f4e712ce4682d3e8f370df7bdfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ggwfsd8e8n2z46z6t660zkl3k8vg5yh07rcuhue6xq9lfl2vhscqmnehd4 op_cert: \x46f923ed2357ef5da49689f3f6f83734669bee27f3b6feb5a98ef741f4122244 op_cert_counter: 2